


Alpha Pack

by house_of_lantis



Series: Alpha Pack [1]
Category: Actor RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-27
Updated: 2011-02-27
Packaged: 2017-10-16 00:00:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 92,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/166245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/house_of_lantis/pseuds/house_of_lantis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen is the straight-laced by-the-book pack Alpha for the Dallas werewolves. Jared is a wild and reckless werewolf under house arrest and forced to take Jensen's Beta collar. Will Jensen see beyond Jared's wild ways to be his true mate; and will Jared see beyond the collar as anything but slavery?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Part 1: Jared

Warehouse District  
Downtown Dallas

Jared pulled his black Bentley SUV into the parking lot of the shady looking building of the warehouse district in downtown Dallas. He grinned to himself, closing his eyes, and scenting blood in the air. There would be a lot of blood in the air tonight, Jared mused, shutting off the engine of his $200,000 custom made vehicle. He stepped out and closed the door, locking it with the remote. He looked around to see dozens of other cars in the lot, a few limousines waiting patiently at the end of the lot, discreet as they were extravagant.

Jared knew all about vices – and he appreciated them, too. Tonight was his vice.

He walked towards the warehouse, lit with two small wall lights beside the heavily guarded door. Three burly guys – members of the Dallas werewolf pack – looked like they were lounging and hanging outside telling jokes and smoking cigarettes, but Jared knew that they were fierce pack members. Without hesitating, Jared walked up to them and gave them a low growl, letting his eyes glow a little green and amber. One of them acknowledged him with a small nod, looking to the guy at the door to open it for him.

“Have a good night, sir.”

“Thanks. I plan to. You guys should come in and watch in about fifteen minutes.”

“You bet, Mr Padalecki.”

Inside, rock music blared out of the makeshift stereo system, speakers pounding the rhythm into his veins. Jared closed his eyes again and inhaled deeply, his nose picking up the scent of pheromones and blood and sex and drugs. There were humans at the games tonight, but this particular sport was a favorite of werewolves like him.

“Fucking tourists,” Jared muttered to himself as he made his way further into the warehouse.

He brushed by a group of young oil baron yuppie wannabes; a bunch of tech geek millionaires out for a good time with blonde bombshells that they could never get without their money. Jared was taller than the average male and he liked to use his height to his advantage. People seemed to just sense him coming and they moved away to make room. Jared looked around the crowd for his friends.

“Jay!”

“JT!”

Jared turned to the sound of his name and smiled when he saw his best friend, Chad, standing at the end of the bar, thumping his hands on the surface with the flat of his hands.

“Yo, JT, about time,” Chad said, reaching up to give Jared a rough hug, pounding his back.

“Chad, how’re they hanging?”

“Like they’re too big to fit in my pants, man,” Chad said, smirking. “The girls got us a good view over there near the pit. Mike and Tommy are around somewhere, probably fucking like a bunch of homos.”

Jared rolled his eyes and slapped the back of his hand against Chad’s chest. “Play nice, kitty. You’re just jealous that they get laid all the time and you’re drier than the fucking Sahara.”

Chad gave him the finger. “At least I still get some pussy; when was the last time you got any?”

“I’m saving myself for you, asswipe,” Jared said, leaning in and making kissy faces at Chad. He laughed when Chad turned red, nearly falling in his attempt to escape.

“Dude, that’s just wrong.”

“You were asking for it,” Jared told him, looking around.

“Here. Drinks,” Chad said, handing him a couple of bottles of beer. Jared grabbed them by their long necks and followed Chad through the throng to where Sandy, Sophia, and Kristen were waiting for them, hanging over the railing as they peered down at the pit. “Ladies! Drinks!”

The girls squealed, grabbing their drinks, each reaching up to kiss Jared, hugging him. They jabbered at him in unison, throwing questions at him that didn’t make one goddamn sense. Jared just grinned, taking a long drink of beer, and raised his eyebrows at them.

“Right. Because I caught all of that,” he said, smirking.

“Chicks,” Chad muttered, grinning.

“Dicks!” Sophia said, reaching behind Sandy and Kristen to flick Chad’s ear.

Chad growled at her. “Hmm…tease me like that and I’m going to take you out back and show you a howling good time.”

Sophia, Kristen, and Sandy groaned, making faces at Chad.

“Whatever,” Sophia said, licking her lips teasingly and wrapping her lips around the opening of the bottle and taking a long, long drink. “You couldn’t handle me, cub.”

Jared ignored the rest of their banter, looking over the railing to the pit below. A dark blue mat covered the entire floor inside of the steel cage. Fight night was illegal in the United States; but Jared knew how to get a game started in Dallas. He was in Indonesia five years ago as a high school graduation present and he spent part of his inheritance betting on underground fights. They were humans but they had limitations.

A werewolf fighting a werewolf – that was a primal and beautiful thing. It wasn’t quite death match, it wasn’t even first blood drawn, it was first to tap out. Werewolves worth their salt didn’t tap out.

And Jared had $75,000 riding on the five games tonight. He always bet on the Dallas werewolves in the fight ring and 4 times out of 5, Dallas pack always won. Tonight, it would be Dallas versus El Paso. Jared knew he was going to clean up, triple his winnings.

“Where’s Mike and Tom?” Jared asked the girls.

They looked at each other and snickered. Kristen made a tight O with her mouth, moving her hand in the universal sign of a blowjob and thrusting her tongue against the inside of her cheek. Jared chuckled. He really loved her.

“They’re in the boy’s room,” Sandy said, rolling her eyes and knocking her elbow into Kristen’s side. “Knock it off. You’re going to give us a bad rep doing that in front of everyone.”

“Bad rep? Are you kidding me? I’m fucking getting laid tonight and if I’m really lucky, it’ll be with more than one guy,” Kristen said and then cackled wickedly. “Isn’t that right, Jared?”

“Forget it, I wouldn’t be able to handle your cock devouring vagina,” Jared told her.

“Oh God, Jared!” Sandy complained, hitting him on the arm. “Really!”

Chad snorted. “Yeah, Jared, really.”

Sandy smacked him next and Chad laughed, pulling her close and sniffing her neck. Jared sighed, leaning on the railing and looking around the warehouse. The patrons were getting antsy, he could tell. On the other side of the railing were the El Paso pack. Jared wondered if anyone would leave unscathed after the fights were over. He smiled to himself, drinking his beer, a part of him hoping that someone would start something. He hadn’t had a good fight in a long time.

“Ohhh! They’re going to start!” Sophia said, clapping her hands. The girls leaned over the railing, looking into the cage pit. Chad moved between Sophia and Sandy, looping his arms over their shoulders.

Jared stood still, his senses on high alert, watching as the five Dallas werewolves and five El Paso werewolves stood outside the steel cage. They hadn’t transformed into their werewolf forms yet. The funny thing was that even a scrawny guy in human form could transform into the biggest and baddest werewolf in the pack. The human form was nothing compared to the animal within. He considered it to be a weak shell, something that they all had to conform to in human society. Jared wore his human body like clothes, but he was all wolf at heart. And fights like this, it just gave them all a chance to be free. And what did it hurt that they could all make a little money from it, too?

Ringside, the ten werewolves were eyeing each other up, cursing and howling. On the second floor, the patrons started stomping their feet and chanting. “Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Jared loved the intensity of the chanting, mixed in with the growls and snarls from below. One by one, they began to transform, screaming and howling with suppressed rage and aggression. The ringmaster pointed to a Dallas werewolf and an El Paso werewolf and opened the door to the cage. The werewolves bounded inside and the clang of the steel cage closing and locking was loud.

Jared watched as the werewolves unleashed on each other. The long reach of the brown furred Dallas werewolf was no match for the black haired El Paso werewolf. The first match wasn’t going to last that long, Jared mused. He had seen enough fights to know the tide of the match. They slashed at each other viciously, drawing blood. Jared moaned as he scented blood, his hand gripping the railing, nearly swaying from the smell. All around him, werewolves and humans alike were feeling the frenzy. He tuned out the humans yelled “kill him, kill him”. He focused on the fight, the two brutal werewolves moving inside of the cage, fearless and cruel in their attacks on each other. The other werewolves surrounding the cage snarled, claws slamming against the cage, calling out with guttural sounds as they cheered on their fellow pack members.

“DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT! STAY WHERE YOU ARE!”

Jared snarled, turning to see the crowd of khaki suited police officers rushing into the warehouse. Madness ensued, people yelling and running as the police entered the building.

“Oh shit!” Kristen yelled. “Jay!”

Jared clenched his teeth. “Chad, get the girls and get out of here!”

“Dude, what about—“

“Do it!” Jared growled at him. “Go out those side doors and take the east wing to the sub levels. Here,” he handed them his keys to the warehouse. “Get the fuck out now!”

“Be safe,” Sandy said, looking at him with amber eyes.

“Go,” he said, nodding to her.

“Thank you, Jared,” Sophia and Kristen called to him as Chad rushed them quickly down the stairs to the landing, jumping off to the ground floor. He watched as they ran towards the side doors, breathing easier as the four of them slipped away.

“Don’t move,” one of the police officers said, grabbing Jared’s wrist and forcing it behind him. “Give me your other hand.”

Jared dropped the beer bottle and placed his hand behind his back, frowning at the feel of the silver handcuffs. “I want my lawyer.”

“Yeah, big guy, you’ll get your attorney,” the police officer growled, pulling him towards the main doors.

***

Downtown Dallas

Jared sat on the bench inside the packed cell inside the Decker Detention Center. The police raid netted seventeen people – mostly werewolves and a few unlucky humans. Jared propped up his foot and leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling. He knew that the Alpha would be called for both packs. Jared knew all about the Dallas Alpha, Jensen Ackles. Excuse me, Dr. Jensen Ackles. The pretty boy was supposed to be some kind of research genius, made robotic arms and hands or something for people who lost their limbs. He was just thirty years old and from what Jared could tell, kind of a pussy. This wasn’t the first time that Jared would have to stand in front of the Alpha at Were Council and get a slap on his wrist for his “bad behavior.”

“…thank you for coming, Dr. Ackles.”

“I’m glad you called me,” Jensen said, stepping into the cell area and looking inside at the werewolves. He gave a sigh and turned to the police officer. “How many of them are mine?”

“Ten of them are in your pack, sir.”

“Have them released into my authority and I’ll make sure that they appear at Were Council for their court dates,” Jensen said, his voice deep and husky.

Jared perked up a little as he got a closer look at the Alpha. Dr. Jensen Ackles was probably sound asleep in bed when he was called in. His normally gelled down hair was puffy and sleep mussed. He wore thin wire framed glasses. He was dressed in khaki pants and a blue button down shirt. He wore his usual black long coat, the collar pulled up. Jared reconsidered a little that maybe there was something about the Alpha. He tucked his chin in the air and narrowed his eyes, inhaling deeply, catching the scent of the Alpha.

Hmmm…like freshly cut grass and hazelnut.

There was something…Jared wasn’t sure what it was. Under that calm and unruffled exterior, the Alpha was pissed. Jared could smell his anger, kept on a tight leash under his conservative clothes and calm human demeanor. But there was something else, too. Something Jared couldn’t name. Jared wondered if there was anything like his Grandfather, the previous pack leader, in Jensen. His Grandfather wouldn’t have had any trouble putting all of them on whipping posts and slashing the skin off their backs for something like this.

Jensen wasn’t old school, though. He believed in giving 500 hours of community service. He believed in long and pretty speeches of how they should strive to be better pack members and work in more cooperative ways. Blah blah fucking blah.

But…Jared trusted his nose and his instincts. And there was something more to Dr. Jensen Ackles than his pretty face and his pretty body. Jared sat up and then stood slowly, looking at Jensen. He let out a soft growl of curiosity and caught Jensen’s eye. Jared licked his lips and grinned widely, feeling turned on. He watched as Jensen carefully raised his head, inhaling sharply. He blinked, his eyes widening for a moment, and then he flushed a deep red and frowned at Jared. Jared knew that every werewolf in the vicinity caught the scent of his pheromones, could see the reaction in them as they fidgeted uncomfortably. But he knew that Jensen wasn’t unaffected by his scent.

“All right, boys. All of you in the Dallas pack, check out with the property desk to retrieve your belongings and pick up your court date paperwork.” The police officer said, opening the door and letting the ten of them leave the cell.

Jared stepped out last, smiling slightly as he passed Jensen. He made sure to meet Jensen’s eyes, moving slowly past him. Jensen appeared to be holding his breath, but his green eyes were very deep and illuminated. They weren’t glowing – oh no, Dr. Ackles was no out of control animal – but there was something there.

***

Park Place Bentley Dealership  
Downtown Dallas

 

Jared leaned back in his chair, chewing thoughtfully on his steak. Chad had brought take out from their favorite steak joint for lunch.

“So…how was it?”

“It’s fine, Chad, don’t worry about it. You got the girls home safe?”

“Yeah,” he said, cutting into his rare cut of steak. “Thanks for getting us out of there.”

Jared chuckled, rolling his eyes. “The cops never did find Mike and Tom, though.”

“Chickenshits, they actually left the fight to go home and fuck,” Chad said, making a face.

Jared found that very funny. “Well, I’m glad that they didn’t get caught up in the net. Damn it, though, I lost $75,000.”

“Jesus! How much money do you pull in, man?” Chad said, shaking his head.

“More than enough,” he replied, chuckling. Jared was being modest. As the number one Bentley salesman at Park Place Bentley, Jared could easily make about $10,000 per day in commissions. He was their ace for online orders, reaching out through the various networks into LA, New York, DC, and Chicago to move Bentleys. He was the only person working for Bentley that could get customers special Bentley SUVs. He could ask for nearly any price and the dealership would get their cut and Jared would get his.

“I’ll talk to the bookies and see if they’ll give us another chance to put a fight together so that everyone who made a bet will have a fair shake at it, even the boys from El Paso,” Chad said, softly.

Jared nodded. “I’ll try to find us a different venue. I might have to go out of the city to do it, though. Now that the cops know about the underground fights, they’re going to be keeping an eye on me.”

“I heard that San Antonio might want to play,” Chad said, keeping his voice low.

“Ohhh, man! That’s a low blow. Who the fuck am I going to bet on? Do I bet on the pack that I was born into or do I bet on the pack that wins fights?” He said, chuckling deeply.

“Yeah, I forget that you’re from San Antone,” Chad said, snickering. “Still, should be a good fight, though. Well matched and everything.”

“Yeah,” Jared said, nodding thoughtfully. He cut into his steak again and chewed carefully, enjoying the perfectly grilled meat. “I got up and personal with the Alpha last night.”

Chad looked up at him. “Oh yeah? He’s a fucking pussy, man.”

“I don’t know,” Jared said, scratching his chin. “There’s something there. I could sense it, right under his skin. He’s not a pussy. I don’t know what he is, but…I felt something, dude.”

“God, it’s a fucking harlequin romance.”

“Dude, I’m telling you that Dr. Jensen Ackles isn’t just a pretty boy. He’s got meat,” Jared told him, frowning slightly. “And I wouldn’t mind getting a piece of that.”

“Jesus,” Chad said, swallowing thickly. “Are you fucking nuts? He’s Alpha. No one fucking messes with Alpha.”

Jared laughed. “I thought you said that he was a pussy.”

“Okay, he’s too pretty to be taken seriously, but…I don’t know, man…” Chad gave Jared a long look. “You’re getting in over your head if you’re going off chasing Ackles. He’s bad news. Plus, if you got hooked up with him, you’d never be able to do any of the stuff you like to do. He’s so far conservative, he makes the Bush family look like bleeding hearts.”

Jared raised his eyebrow and shook his head. “Dude, you are…full of surprises.”

“I went to college, asshole.”

***

The Loft  
Downtown Dallas

Jared stepped into the Loft and saw his crew sitting at their usual table. He smiled, seeing them chattering at Chad a mile a minute. Chad looked grateful when he saw Jared walk into the upscale Dallas bar. “Hey.”

“Oh Jared!” Sophia jumped out of her chair to hug him.

“We were so worried,” Sandy said, hugging him next and kissing his cheek.

“Thank you for helping us get out of there,” Kristen told him, pressing her nose against his neck and making a soft whimper. “We would’ve been in so much trouble if we got caught.”

“It’s all right,” Jared said, sitting down. “Chad, man, you okay over there?”

“God, I love you women, but you can fucking talk my ears off,” he muttered, slipping out of his chair. “I’m going to the bar. Refills?”

“Yes!” The girls chorused and Jared couldn’t stop grinning.

“Get me a Yuengling, man.”

“Coming right up.”

Sandy leaned across the table, looking at him with big dewy brown eyes. “So, what happened?”

“It’s really not a big deal. They kept us in the Detention Center until Jensen Ackles bailed us out. We have to appear before the Were Council in a few days for our punishment. The usual BS.”

“You’re lucky you’re just a cub and that you didn’t have to face the wrath of the Alpha’s Grandfather. Ninety years of iron fist rule. I heard that he was a holy terror; scared the crap out of everyone. No one could say anything negative about pack policy,” Sophia said, nodding to him. “My uncle used to tell me stories that the Alpha’s Grandfather used to cage up werewolves in their transformed bodies, starve them for days at a time.”

“I doubt that the pack would stand for something like that,” Kristen said, shaking her head.

“My uncle got his ass beaten when the Alpha’s Grandfather was pack leader,” Sophia said, fiercely. “There’s a line between punishment and cruelty.”

“I have to agree with you there,” Sandy said, softly. “But still…you did a great thing for us, Jared. We can’t thank you enough.”

Jared grinned, waggling his eyebrows at them. “Well, you could thank me…”

“Don’t be gross. That’ll be like doing Chad.”

“Excuse me! I think I’m a step better than doing Chad,” Jared said, laughing and clapping his hands in amusement.

“I’d have to agree with you there,” Kristen commented, giggling softly.

Jared smiled, looking past the girls to see Chad at the bar, flirting with the pretty redhead woman tending bar. He raised his eyebrow and gave Chad a facial “thumbs up” when Chad laughed and turned to look at Jared, raising his eyebrow and motioning his head to the redhead.

The door opened and the hostess smiled widely. Jared turned to look and let out a soft hiss when he saw Jensen walk into the Loft.

“Holy shit,” Sandy murmured, looking over her shoulder at Jensen. “Alpha’s here.”

Jared heard that same phrase murmured throughout the rest of the bar as the hostess led Jensen to a private booth table just across from Jared.

“Alpha’s here.”

“Jensen Ackles, the Alpha, just came in.”

“It’s Alpha.”

Jared rolled his eyes, wanting to raise his hands in the air and wave them around. “Alpha’s here. Alpha’s here.” He manfully refrained.

Chad brought over the drinks and set them on the table. “Dude, she totally wants my ass.”

Sophia made a face. “Deidre? Are you serious? Ohmygod, Chad, did you wolf her?”

“No I did not ‘wolf’ her,” Chad said but then grinned at Jared. “Maybe I kind of whammied her with my charms. Oh shit, is that Ackles? What the hell is he doing here?”

“It is a free country. The Alpha has a right to come out and enjoy being with the pack as much as anyone else,” Sandy said, grinning to herself. She giggled softly and ducked her head. “God, he’s so fucking gorgeous in person.”

“Hmmm…” turned into a growl as Jared checked him out. His hair was slicked back as usual and he was wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and a red tie. Jared decided that he liked casual and sleep mussed Jensen better. He wasn’t wearing glasses so Jared assumed that he had contacts.

“Ohmygod, Jared? Are you…”

He grinned at the girls. “Yes, he is fucking hot; and yes, I want his ass.”

He ignored them as they squealed and started to talk in hushed whispers. Jared turned to look at Jensen and was surprised to see the Alpha staring at him.

Chad kicked his chair. “Fuck, dude, careful with the pheromones!”

“Making you hard and wondering what it might be like to play with the big boys, Murray?” Sophia said, snickering.

Jared never kept his pheromones in check. It didn’t freak him out that every single werewolf in the room could sense how much he wanted Jensen. He watched as Jensen flushed again, sneering slightly as he glared at Jared now. Jared bit his lip and ducked his head, looking up at Jensen. With a self-deprecating laugh, he turned away and picked up his beer, sipping the cool flavor slowly. When he turned to look at Jensen again, he found the Alpha sitting dignified and looking up to smile at the waitress who set his drink on the table in front of him. Jared watched him take a small sip of his beer, his eyes moving to look at Jared again.

“God, can you eye fuck him any harder?” Kristen said, kicking Jared’s calf gently. “Why don’t you go over there and say hello?”

“He didn’t give me an invitation to come and join him,” Jared said, casually. “Believe me, I’d be over there in three steps if he wanted me.”

“That’s the question, though, isn’t it?” Sophia said, softly. “Does he want you?”

Jared turned to meet Jensen’s gaze and then tilted his head back and breathed in deeply, several times, concentrating on Jensen’s scent. He lowered his eyelids slightly, letting out a soft growl at the familiar scent of cut grass and hazelnut.

“Hmmm…but he does smell so good.”

“That is totally rude,” Sandy told him. She kicked his shin and Jared yelped slightly, laughing. “You’re making him uncomfortable.”

Jared turned to see that Jensen was glaring at him and that he was flushed. He gave Jensen a smirk and raised his beer glass, nodded to him, and took a sip. Jensen clenched his jaw but acknowledged him a tense nod of his own before turning to look away.

“God, I hope I make him uncomfortable,” Jared murmured, softly. He knew that he had Jensen’s attention now; and Jared had too much pride to allow the Alpha to reject him.

 

 

Part 2: Jensen

Ackles Institute  
Division of Bio-Robotic Research

“Stabilize the movement,” Jensen murmured softly, watching through the eyepiece of the powerful microscope as the robotic hands moved gracefully, giving a soft whir, and moving the delicate pieces of the micro thin wires on a chip the size of a fingernail.

“Turn 27.92 degrees positive.” Jensen watched carefully, nearly holding his breath. “Stop. Turn 14.34 degrees for 0.0309 seconds and stop.”

The robotic arm obeyed to the hundred thousandth of a second and Jensen smiled to himself, lifting his head from the microscope.

“Disengage.”

Jensen stared intently at the dual computer monitors. One of the monitors showed an advanced color 3-D image of the bio-robotic eye that he was assembling using state-of-the-art imaging technology. The second monitor showed a magnified real-time view of the microscopic wires that he was attaching to the receptor areas using precision robotic tools that he and his team had to invent before they were able to do the detail work that nature did so miraculously. His team had gone through several thousand models in assembling the bio-robotic eye and Jensen was sure that they were very close to creating a mechanical eye that would be able to transmit light and information to the brain in the same way as a human eye.

“Play Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor.”

The voice-activated Bose stereo system CD reader moved to the third disc in the stand and the soft strains of Bach’s masterpiece filled his lab.

With steady hands, Jensen carefully positioned one thread-like wire after another until he had completed all forty nine placements. Jensen sighed and then sat up straight on his stool, rolling his head to get the kinks out of his neck. He really needed to make an appointment with Zachary to get an adjustment on his neck and back. He set down his delicate tools in the special tool case and rolled his stool from the lab counter to the laptop on his desk. He typed quickly and watched as the screen scrolled through a data stream that looked like archaic computer language.

“Well…this better work,” he murmured to himself. He cleared his throat. “Recording. Dr Ackles, Jensen R, September 23rd, 2009. Robotic engineering of the eye completed. Phase two implementation will begin tomorrow. Download all data files relevant to this project…now. Forward copies of data files to Dr Kripke, Eric.” He checked his laptop screen to see all of the data scrolling down his screen.

The next phase would be to begin testing the eye. Eric had created a neuro-net program that acted in a similar manner to the brain-eye function. He would spend the next few months testing all of the mechanics and wiring of the eye. They were nowhere ready for any kind of human trials. It was a controversial medical invention, but Jensen believed that the good outweighed the bad.

Jensen grew up in the labs, worked there ever since he was 13-years old. His mother, Dana, before her illness and death, was the leading researcher for heart valve replacement. Due to her influence, his entire life was devoted to his research.

The Ackles Institute believed in preserving and improving the quality of human life. Jensen hired the best scientists – humans and werewolves – to work on special research projects at the Institute. He wanted to make the use of the bio-robotic limbs and organs as seamless as possible. He believed that it would make human life better. He was staking the reputations of his family’s company and the Dallas pack on it.

Besides, human beings couldn’t regenerate like werewolves could; he felt that he should share such a genetic advantage.

“Jensen, you ready for lunch? Tom and Jim are waiting for us.”

Jensen looked up to see his best friend Eric standing in the doorway to his lab, tapping on the window. “Hey, Krip.”

“How’s it coming along?”

Jensen sighed, pushing away on his stool and letting Eric look at the data. The older werewolf pulled on his thin wire-frame glasses and leaned forward to look at the screens.

“Amazing detail work, Jensen,” he murmured, nodding slowly. “We were at 92.4 percent testability on the last model you created. We need to be at 98.7 percent in order to request federal trials. We’re on the right track.”

“After four thousand models, I think it’s about time I got it right.”

Eric snickered, looking from the 3-D imaging screen to the magnification screen and then back. “With the way that you’ve positioned the wiring this time, I think we’ll be able to bio-fuse them to the nerves of the eye stem to the brain.”

“Yeah,” Jensen said, softly. “I’m putting that into your capable hands.”

Eric stood up and grinned. “Well, I am the best ocular prosthetic surgeon in the country.”

Jensen chuckled, standing up. He patted Eric on his shoulder. “I’m not going to argue with you on that. Come on, what’re we going to have for lunch today?”

“Thai.”

“Great, I’m starving!” Jensen said, strolling out of his lab and into the hallway, Eric beside him. “I want to get an update on the bio-robotic arm specs that Tom and Jim are working on.”

“Oh, it’s fantastic work. The muscle-nerve memory connection is working out real fine.”

Jensen walked with Eric, listening to the enthusiastic older werewolf expound on his work, the upcoming technology conference, and his private research fellowship. He and Eric were at least a decade apart in age, but he was the first scientist to take Jensen’s research seriously when he was 13 years old. He admired Eric’s work and they soon became friends. Jensen grinned, walking into the break room to see Dr Tom Welling and Dr Jim Beaver sitting at a large table, dozens of cartons of Thai food spread out in the middle.

“…and Dean Kamen is supposed to be at this year’s D7 Conference to talk about the Luke Arm, but we’re so way ahead of the game that it’s kind of embarrassing for Kamen to even be a speaker,” Jim said, snorting. “You two should be presenters at the D8 Conference next year. Can you imagine what the impact of a bio-robotic eye that interfaces with the human brain will be like on the scientific community? It’s Nobel Prize worthy, man.”

Jensen laughed. “I doubt we’ll be ready for any human trials in just one year, Jim, but thanks for the optimism. Kamen’s been invited this year because his Luke Arm is a prosthetic arm that has full articulation; our bio-robotic limbs are surgically implanted. Not a lot of people want to be surgically implanted to a machine. We’re stepping on a very fine grey line.”

“Kamen’s such a sell out,” Eric groused, rolling his eyes.

“You’re just jealous that you didn’t invent the Segway,” Tom said, chuckling softly.

“You’d think that we would make the bigger contribution. You should get your pretty face out there, Ackles, become more public.”

“No way.” Jensen made a face and shook his head. “There’s a reason why our PR department doesn’t like me.”

“You’re too pretty and it would distract from our research?”

“I’m not good in public,” Jensen growled at Jim as they laughed.

“How’s the eye project?” Tom said, patting Jensen on the back, soothingly.

“I’m handing it off to Eric and his team tomorrow,” Jensen said, quickly picking up the cartons and scooping food onto his paper plate.

“Yeah, it’s going to be stunning,” Eric said, munching quickly on his spicy vegetables. “I mean, this is cutting edge stuff, man. My team and I are totally ready to take on the new model. Sera, Jeremy, and Ben have been cross testing the neuro-net for months now; the electrical behavior of the network is as close as we can humanly make it to resemble the brain-eye connection. We’ll have some fantastic results in six months.”

“Try not to break it this time, Kripke,” Jim said, snickering.

Jensen laughed gently with Tom as Eric flushed and shook his head, amused.

“I’ll be out of the office tomorrow. I have Council business.”

Tom raised his eyebrow. “I heard that there was a bust at the downtown district for werewolf fighting.”

“I’m surprised that you weren’t there. You and Mike are friends with Padalecki,” Jensen said, softly. He was rather grateful that he didn’t have to bail out Tom and Mike; that he didn’t have to discipline one of his closest friends and colleague.

“We knew about it; we did go for like five minutes. But let’s just say that Mike and I know when to keep our noses clean,” Tom murmured, taking a deep breath.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I…I might have been able to…”

“To what? Warn them off that there was going to be a police raid?” Tom said, raising his eyebrows. “You’d never compromise yourself like that. So just go easy on them, Jensen.”

Jensen shook his head, sighing deeply. He loved Tom and counted on his advice, but at the same time, none of them could truly understand what it meant to be Alpha. He didn’t deny that there was a great deal of glamour associated with being a pack’s Alpha, but the sheer amount of willpower necessary and the work involved to keep the position made Jensen weary. Compounding his position as pack leader was his position as visionary and lead researcher for Ackles Institute. Jensen hated to think it, but no one went easy on him; and Jensen didn’t believe that he should go easy on anyone else. He expected the best from himself; was it so wrong to expect the best from others in his pack?

“Tom, they’re reckless and irresponsible – Padalecki in particular. Werewolf fighting and gambling – never mind that it’s illegal but…how can I stand by and let something like that happen in my pack? It’s not just dangerous, it’s disrespectful to our kind; it gives humans a reason to fear us and hate us. Padalecki and his cronies have to understand that there are consequences, not just to them but to the entire pack. I’m held accountable for their actions, too.”

“We all get that, Jensen, but unless you go back to the iron fist ways of your grandfather – and please don’t, by the way – forcing them to bend to your rules isn’t going to make them any less reckless or irresponsible,” Tom said, leaning towards him. “It’s obvious that Jared’s got real talents and he’s popular among the wolves in our age group. Guys like him need direction.”

Jensen scoffed. “This is the eighth time since he reached the age of majority that Padalecki’s come before Council. Are you saying that he’s just a poor little lost cub who needs—“

“You’re Alpha; our pack leader, it’s part of who you are to lead us, even individually. It’s been done before when an Alpha took a young werewolf on as his responsibility,” Tom said, seeing the frown on Jensen’s face. “Hear me out. I know it’s not easy to deal with the rebellious ones like Jared, but coming down hard on them isn’t going to work.”

“It’s true, Ackles,” Jim drawled, tapping his fork on his plate. “Lot of the older werewolves lived under your grand daddy’s reign; a lot of us wear those scars and a lot of good wolves left Dallas pack because of it.”

Jensen winced and nodded, putting his hand on Jim’s shoulder. “Yeah…but Grandfather had some right ideas and he pushed the pack hard so that we’d become stronger and successful like we are now. I don’t want to lose that.”

“Then solidify the pack,” Eric said, softly. “Take on the rebellious members under your wing and give them responsibilities that will make them accountable to the entire pack.” He slapped his hand on the table. “Take Padalecki as your apprentice.”

“What?” Jensen shouted, frowning deeply. “No! No way in Hell am I taking Jared Padalecki as an apprentice!”

“No, I agree with Eric. You’d be surprised by what a guy like Jared could do for the pack.”

“What you should do is get married, kiddo,” Jim said, chuckling throatily. “Put the bonds of matrimony on Padalecki. Have the boy start towing the line. Give him a good, hard bite on the neck.”

Jensen frowned, trying not to imagine what biting Jared’s neck would be like. He kept his pheromones in tight check in front of his three friends. “Good God…we might end up killing each other.”

“You know, Jim does have a point. You’re thirty now, Jensen, and this is the age that wolves look for mates,” Eric said, looking at him.

Jensen rolled his eyes. Ever since he took his place as Alpha, everyone looked at him like a piece of meat; everyone wanted a piece of him, his power as Alpha or his name or his wealth. He was a prized catch – no better than a trophy for the right wolf. This was the reason why he hadn’t looked for a mate.

“All joking aside…you could do a lot worse than Jared Padalecki.” Tom leaned forward, looking carefully at Jensen. “You’d want to marry someone that the pack would respect; someone that they would love and be loyal to; someone worthy of the pack Alpha – someone strong enough to be your equal.”

“Someone to help you find your sense of humor,” Jim added, snickering.

Jensen stared at them. “Have you all lost your minds? You want me to marry the brattiest werecub in our pack? And for what? Because he’s popular among the other pups?”

Tom chuckled. “Well…he’s cute; and from what Mike and I know of him, he’s a big slut, so at least the sex would be great. When was the last time you actually had sex with another person?”

“It was Natasha…no, it was Ian, like two months ago,” Eric said, snickering.

“Oh God,” Jensen closed his eyes, shaking his head. “You three are the worst gossips I know.” He took a deep sigh and stared at his empty plate. “Padalecki…flirts with me. I mean, he isn’t shy about letting me know – and every wolf within a five mile radius – that he’s interested in me. I mean, how old do you have to be before you can control your pheromones in public? Is he completely unsocialized?”

Eric, Tommy, and Jim sat up straighter in their chairs looking at Jensen.

“He’s already started his mating call? Jensen, that’s great! He’s—“

“It’s not a mating call!” Jensen said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I hate that phrase; it sounds so demeaning, like we’re only controlled by our animal instinct to mate.”

“Well, we are,” Eric said, evenly. “But we’re civilized so we don’t publicize it.”

“Tell that to Padalecki,” Jensen grumbled under his breath. “It borders on rudeness.”

Tom laughed, patting Jensen on the shoulder. “Oh, man, why didn’t you tell us earlier? He’s pawing the ground for you, Jensen. You might want to consider him.”

“Pretty soon, he’ll be preening and prancing,” Jim said, laughing heartily and ignoring Jensen’s displeased scowl. “Hey, maybe Padalecki’s just trying to get your attention?”

Jensen rolled his eyes. “Forget it. He’s not my type. Besides, he hasn’t wanted my attention in the past. It started this last time I had to bail him out of jail.”

“You really need to get laid, boy.”

“Jim, please, not you, too.” Jensen said, shaking his head.

Jim laughed, heartily. “Well, kid, it’s in the best interests of the pack to make sure that the Alpha’s getting laid on a regular basis.”

Jensen made a pained face as they laughed. “It’s really not.”

***

Jensen Ackles’ Residence  
The Glass House

 

Jensen sighed as he slipped through the double doors of his quiet home. The lights automatically turned on and adjusted as he stepped through the foyer and into the main room. Classical music began playing softly in the background as Jensen looked through the stack of mail on the counter in the kitchen.

He walked to the stainless steel fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, opening the top and taking a long drink. He pulled the pink note from under the Texas state flag magnet and grinned.

Hey big brother –

Left you some pasta and BBQ ribs in the fridge.

Love,

Morgan

He’d have to thank her later. He pulled out the plastic container of pasta, popped the lid, and grabbed a fork from a drawer and walked through his living room to the back patio. The glass doors slid open as he approached and he stepped out into the cool, dark night. He leaned his hip on the invisible railing and ate slowly, enjoying the taste of the cold pasta.

Jensen loved living in what everyone affectionately called the Glass House. Tom called it the Fish Bowl and his other friends questioned his sanity for the lack of privacy. Jensen thought it was symbolic that as pack leader, his life was transparent, that he lived a life he wasn’t ashamed of, and that he wanted to remember to be careful about throwing stones at glass houses. It was designed by his architect friend, Steve Carlson. The house sat on 25 acres of land outside of Dallas-Fort Worth and was all glass and steel. The windows tinted automatically during the day time, everything was solar powered, and the house was eco-friendly. His favorite part of the house was the waterfall that came down the side of the house and into the swimming pool. Steve had planted a number of trees to provide a retreat area, but the house was designed to look out at the untouched Texas prairie land around him – and for others to look in on the Alpha.

People thought that the Alpha should live in some dark castle-like structure, protected and secured from the pack. His grand daddy lived in a stone mansion that Jensen thought was musty, old, severe, and impersonal. He spent his childhood in the Ackles mansion and couldn’t wait to leave. As soon as he reached the age of majority, Jensen transferred his personal security to the Institute so that he was approachable. Besides, Jensen loved the sunlight and the freedom of being the only house for miles. The Glass House was like a block of ice in the middle of Texas. He loved being alone…but he didn’t love being lonely.

Jensen sighed, dropping his fork in the container and feeling disgusted with himself. He knew that when he accepted his place as Alpha, he would live a part of his life set apart from the pack. As much as Jensen loved being with his pack, he knew that he couldn’t lead a “normal” life amongst them. Jensen longed to be closer to his pack members, but at the same time, he needed the freedom to run wild.

He leaned against the glass wall and set the container on a nearby table. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants and closed his eyes, letting his body sink against the still warm glass, easing the stress of the day from his body. The tight control that he kept on his senses dropped one by one. He could let his instincts come to the surface, his wolf connecting with the world around him.

He imagined running across the prairie. He could feel the beast inside of him pounding across the land, panting deeply, the scent of dry grass, earth, and sweat filling his senses. His body moved through air and he didn’t need eyes to see. Jensen allowed his senses to just keep running and running, enjoying the lack of restrictions, enjoying the scents around him…and he nearly tripped and rolled to the ground when he sensed a second presence running with him. Jensen felt his heart beating hard and he used his senses to draw out the wolf. He gasped and opened his eyes, staring into the night, panting gently.

It was such a strong presence, nothing Jensen had felt in his life. He grasped the invisible railing and caught his breath, swallowing thickly. His body felt bruised. He would never admit it to himself that he recognized that scent.

***

Dallas City Hall  
Werewolf Council

Jensen stepped through the door, carrying his black leather portfolio tucked under his arm. He gazed at the twenty werewolves rising to their feet in the audience chamber. He looked them over – the wolves from the fight raid, other wolves that had broken werewolf laws, and wolves that had grievances that needed to be addressed by the Council.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Alpha,” they intoned. He nodded his acceptance with a small smile.

“Thank you for coming this morning. Be seated, please,” Jensen said, stepping to his chair at the center of the table. He nodded to the eight werewolves who sat on the Council with him. They were Elders of the pack – not necessarily there by age, but chosen for their wisdom, compassion, and understanding of pack law. “Good morning, Elders.”

“Alpha.”

“These are your files, Alpha.”

Jensen’s assistant, Chris Pine, handed him the dockets for the day and took his seat behind Jensen. “Thank you, Mr Pine.”

“Zachary said that he had an opening for 3 pm today,” Chris said, his voice tinged with amusement.

Jensen glanced up at blue-blue eyes and smiled. “Thank you. I really need an adjustment.”

“No problem, Boss.” He said, taking his seat behind Jensen.

He looked up for just a moment, scanning the group of werewolves, trying not to linger on Jared Padalecki, who flashed him a wide grin. Jensen sighed to himself and cleared his throat, looking up at the other Council members.

“I am open to hearing statements,” Jensen said, reaching for his pen in his jacket pocket and opening his portfolio to begin taking notes.

Jensen could only hope that the cases would go quickly. He listened carefully and intently as each Elder presented a case to the Council. Witnesses were called forth, statements were reviewed. Jensen allowed open debate in the Council room and stepped in when he felt that he had something to add. Jensen agreed with the Elders when they asked for compassion or leniency; but Jensen also believed in fair punishment under the law.

For the group of werewolves that were caught in the police raid, Jensen fined them $5,000 each and 500 hours of community work service to the city. He believed in giving back to the community, for them to learn that in order to be part of the pack, it was their duty to serve the pack. He knew that his grand daddy often made examples of the young wolves; but Jensen didn’t want to go back to the days of whipping posts and bloodshed. Werewolves healed, but Jim was right, capital punishment left deep, deep scars.

He released the werewolves to their families to clear their financial bonds. Chris picked up the folders of his closed cases. The last folder in front of him belonged to Jared Tristan Padalecki…and it was two inches thick. He looked up to see the most insolent expression on Jared’s face. It ruffled his fur, so to speak, and Jensen clamped down on his sudden temper. Jensen clasped his hands in front of him and leaned forward, looking at Jared.

“Mr Padalecki, this is not your first infraction of werewolf law,” Jensen said, sternly. “It’s not even your second or your third. This is the eighth time you’ve come before Council.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Witnesses report that you planned the illegal werewolf fight.”

Jared nodded. “Yes, Alpha, I did.”

Jensen took a deep breath, scowling. “You don’t feel any shame or remorse for what you did?”

“I don’t feel that I did anything wrong, Alpha.” Jared said, his voice clear and even. But the tone was challenging.

Jensen narrowed his eyes at Jared. How dare that the werecub challenge him? “You don’t feel that creating an environment where you would invite humans and wolves to gamble on the life of werewolf brethren is wrong?”

Jared took a deep breath and stared right at Jensen. “Not if it shows that Dallas pack is the strongest pack in Texas.”

Jensen could hear the Elders murmuring around him. He glared hard at Jared. “I’m fining you $50,000 and 700 hours of community service.”

Jared nodded and then reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a leather checkbook. “Where do I write my check?”

“Disrespectful, Mr Padalecki,” Elder Samantha Ferris said, her husky voice deepening with annoyance.

“I don’t mean to be,” he said, smiling slightly. “I’m more than happy to pay the fine.”

“This is not about money,” Elder Justin Hartley drawled, raising his eyebrow. “Have you learned no other lesson in your previous visits here?”

Jensen watched as Jared just stood there, staring at them. Jensen couldn’t read the expression on his face, couldn’t see what Jared was feeling or thinking. It annoyed him that Jared was so unreadable at that moment.

“I’m disappointed in you, Mr Padalecki,” Jensen said, softly. “I’m disappointed that this is the way that you would go about trying to prove the strength of Dallas pack.”

“Maybe you should let me know how I should go about trying to prove the strength of Dallas pack that meets your acceptable standards.”

“You need to mind your Elders, boy,” Samantha nearly growled at him.

Jensen stood up and pulled off his glasses. “Mr Padalecki, I don’t know if you’re deliberately challenging this Council or if you really are this naïve. You are beyond the age of majority, no longer considered a pup in the pack, and you should begin to learn to take on the responsibilities of an adult pack member. I would like to tell you that if you come before this Council again for any infraction of werewolf law, I will have to punish you.” He took a deep breath, looking into Jared’s eyes. “Believe me, I don’t want to punish you, but you’re out of control and I can’t allow you to go on like this, Jared.”

Jared grinned at him slightly when Jensen said his name. He slipped on his glasses again and looked around at the Elders.

“Does anyone have anything more to add for Mr Padalecki?” The Elders gave Jared dirty looks and scowls, but no one had anything to say. Jensen turned to Jared and gave him a nod. “You are excused, Mr Padalecki.”

“Thanks, Alpha.”

He watched the tall werecub strolled out of the Council room, hands tucked into his pants. He pushed the door open with one hand and looked over his shoulder, long bangs nearly covering his eyes, as he gave Jensen a seductive glance over his shoulder and a smile that made the edges of his cat eyes crinkle.

Damn that werecub!

Jensen thanked the Elders and reached for his portfolio. “Mr Pine, I’ll see you again next week.”

“Yes, Alpha. Have a great week, Jensen. Don’t forget to go see Zachary.”

“I’ll tell him you said hello.”

Jensen clasped his shoulder and gave him a friendly squeeze, then headed out the door towards the rear lobby. He tucked his portfolio under his arm and took a deep breath, heading for the doors at the end of the long and busy hallway. He stepped out of the building and stood to the side for just a moment, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Jensen was a true Texan – he loved the feel of the dry heat that breathed life into every living being in the state. He adjusted the lens of his glasses and allowed them to darken automatically to shade his eyes from the sunlight.

He strolled lightly across the walkway, listening to the flap of the flags in the slight breeze.

“Jensen!”

He stopped and turned around to see Jared pulling on a pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses, long legs striding over the walkway towards him.

“You will address me as Alpha,” Jensen hissed at him.

Jared grinned. “Alpha.”

Jensen sighed. “What is it, Mr Padalecki?”

“I was just wondering, Alpha, if you’d like to get some lunch together?”

Jensen swallowed, feeling the heat of Jared’s pheromones enveloping his senses.

 

Part 3: Jared

Dallas City Hall  
Downtown

Jared wrote out $50,000 to the Were Council at the cashier’s window. He grinned, sliding the check under the glass to the young woman sitting at the counter. She looked at the check and flicked her eyes at Jared.

“Wow…that’s a hefty fine,” she murmured, biting her lip and smiling up at him.

Jared could scent her arousal and he smirked. “I’m a bad, bad wolf.”

“I bet you are,” she said, processing the check, her fingers dancing over the keyboard as she logged in his payment. “So, what did you get caught doing?”

“Something very naughty.”

She leaned forward on the counter and Jared watched as she tucked her breasts over her arms, giving him a nice look at her cleavage. She was cute, but not a werewolf; and Jared only dated his kind. But he appreciated the effort on her part.

He completely forgot about the flirting girl when he caught Jensen out of the corner of his eye, heading for the main doors of the building. He tucked his checkbook into his jacket pocket and turned to follow Jensen.

“Sir! Your receipt!”

“Keep it!” Jared called over his shoulder, his long legs carrying him to the doors. He nearly flew through them, looking around. He grinned, his eyes catching on the tall and slim frame.

“Jensen!”

He saw Jensen’s shoulder twitch under the perfect cut of his dark gray suit. Jared grinned, pulling his mirrored aviator sunglasses from his jacket pocket, slipping them on. Jensen stopped and turned, watching as he strode over the walkway towards him.

“You will address me as Alpha,” Jensen said, his voice clipped and angry.

Jared was amused that Jensen tried to create such a formal distance between them. It gave him ammo; made him think that he was affecting Jensen. He grinned. “Alpha.”

“What is it, Mr Padalecki?”

Jared licked his lips. It was now or never. “I was just wondering, Alpha, if you’d like to get some lunch together?”

He watched as Jensen swallowed, the full lips twitching as he made an attempt to keep it together under the wave of Jared’s pheromones.

“I’m sorry, Mr Padalecki, it’s out of the question.”

Jared let out a chuckle as Jensen turned and started to walk away. He bit his lip, eyes moving down Jensen’s body to see that Jensen was slightly bow legged. Ohhhh, yeah, here was a werewolf who had legs that could wrap around Jared; probably would be a perfect fit. He let Jensen take about ten steps away before following. His longer stride caught him up to Jensen only after about seven steps.

“Why are you avoiding me? Do I make you uncomfortable, Alpha?” Jared said, whispering against Jensen’s ear. He took a loud whiff of Jensen’s scent, enjoying that familiar combination of cut grass and hazelnut. It was so distinctive…and Jared could feel himself getting hard under his slacks.

Jensen ignored him for three steps as Jared paced beside him. When Jensen stopped abruptly, Jared took a graceful side step and moved in front of Jensen, smiling widely. “What is this about? Why are you so interested in me?”

“I thought it was pretty obvious.”

“Being so publicly horny isn’t exactly a sign that gets my attention, Mr Padalecki, it just shows a lack of your control.”

“Call me Jared.” He said, smiling. He knew his dimples were working overtime and that they always came in handy. Jensen flicked his green and gold-flecked eyes at him and then looked at his mouth. Jensen licked his lips and looked away, shaking his head.

“Look, you seem like a good guy, Jared, but you don’t have to kiss up to me or anything like that. You paid your dues; all you need to do is just keep your nose clean and do some community service,” Jensen said, taking a deep breath.

“That’s not why I’m interested.”

“Then why?”

Jared didn’t understand how a guy like Jensen Ackles didn’t know just how alluring and fucking hot he was. He was incredulous and kind of thought Jensen was faking being so oblivious, but he determined that Jensen didn’t have a reason to play coy.

“I’m interested because you’ve got a great ass and I bet you’d be a hot fuck.”

Jensen looked at him for a long moment, blinking in surprise. Jared watched as his face flushed and a look of anger crossed his handsome face. Jesus, he had fucking freckles!

“You know what, Padalecki, you ought to watch your mouth around me—“

“You can watch my mouth any time you want, Alpha. You can watch my mouth as I suck your cock—“

“Damn it! Don’t. Just don’t!” Jensen growled at him and then ran a hand over his head, staring blindly at the cement walkway. He took a long breath and then dropped his hand, looking up at Jared. “Stay away from me, Padalecki. I’m not going to play whatever fucking game you have going.”

Jared gave him an earnest look, hoping to convey his interest and apology at the same time. He never wanted to upset Jensen, because the Alpha was seriously freaked. Did he not get hit on or something? God, was he still a fucking virgin? No way! A great looking guy like him – the Alpha of Dallas pack – probably could get laid whenever he wanted, even without his werewolf status.

“Jensen, hold up, man—“

“Padalecki,” Jensen hissed at him, lowly. “I mean it, stay away from me.”

Jared nodded, biting his bottom lip and let Jensen walk away from him. He would allow Jensen a reprieve; he’d give the Alpha a chance to let things calm down and to collect himself. Jared knew which fights to win and when to give up the field of battle…for now. He was really curious by Jensen’s reaction to him. A part of him believed that Jensen was attracted to him; but another part of him thought Jensen was…innocent? No, that didn’t make sense.

He didn’t know a lot about the Alpha. He knew what everyone knew: Jensen was smart and ran his research institute, he was heir apparent and was groomed at a young age to take his place in the pack, and he led a very private but public life. He heard that Jensen lived in some kind of glass house – Jared thought that was kind of kinky and it hit his button for voyeurism. But no one knew more than that. Jared could ask Tom and Mike what they knew about Jensen, but they were always real closed mouthed about their friendship with the Alpha. Jensen was a real mystery.

And Jared liked mysteries…especially a mystery with an ass that he knew would be fucking perfect under those pants.

***

Park Place Bentley Dealership  
Downtown

Jared strolled into the busy dealership, grinning as he passed the other sales representatives working their magic. He looked up to the second floor to see Jeffrey standing by his office, tracking him with his eyes. Jared gave him a nod as he crossed the marble lobby towards his office.

As a senior salesman, Jared had a glass enclosed office in the center of the sales lobby. It gave him a clear view as clients came into the dealership. But most of Jared’s meetings were by appointment only and he had a long list of by-referral clients. He logged into his computer and checked his seven out-of-state sales leads, smiling as he received six confirmed buys and one strong maybe. He’d let that client stew for a few more hours and Jared would reach out and hear his offer. He was feeling generous and he could afford to take a smaller commission on the sale.

He hit the button for his speaker phone and dialed the four-digit extension to Contracts to get the ball rolling on his six confirmed sales.

“Contracts Department.”

“Hey, Lorna, it’s Jay. I’m sending you six confirmed buys – maybe seven before COB so have an extra one ready for me for later.”

Lorna’s deep chuckle rumbled from the other end of the phone. “All right, you send them over and I’ll process the forms for you.”

“Thanks, hon. Don’t forget my commission vouchers for JD to sign.” Jared said, smiling at his computer screen as he forwarded the information she’d need to write up the sales documents.

“Don’t tell me how to do my job, boy,” she murmured back, affectionately.

“You’re a peach.”

He depressed the speaker phone button, smiling widely. There was a soft knock on the glass and Jared looked up, grinning at Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the General Manager.

“Hey!”

“Everything squared away with the Were Council?”

Jared leaned back in his leather chair and smirked. “I left them a small bit of change and got my slap on the wrist. I’m going to have to rearrange my schedule to meet my community service hours.”

Jeffrey nodded and took a seat in front of Jared. “This was, what, your eighth visit before the Council?”

“Give or take.”

“Jared,” Jeffrey said, leaning towards him, a serious look on his face. “You’re my best man here. You easily move double the number of cars through this dealership in a month, all of my sales staff put together. We’ve both made a lot of money over the years. I don’t want anything to happen to our spectacular working relationship.”

Jared grinned. “Neither do I.”

“Then take a little advice from an old wolf,” Jeffrey said, grinning slightly. “Stop getting caught.”

Jared laughed, throwing back his head. He clapped his hands and then snorted, shaking his head. “Damn, I thought you were going to tell me to stop all my games or something, man.”

“Well, I understand where you’re coming from…and you’re a stubborn cuss so it’s not like I can tell you to stop your games and cons.”

Jared sighed, tapping his hands on top of his desk. “Life is for living, JD.”

“You’re young and rich, Jay. I know you’re bored and you’re looking for something exciting, but you can find more constructive amusements.”

“That’s what Jensen said.”

Jeffrey raised his eyebrow. “You’re calling the Alpha by his first name now?”

“I’m not being disrespectful or anything like that. I just think he’s a regular wolf, just like everybody else, and I don’t feel like I need to call him by his title all the time.” Jared said, leaning back in his chair. Jeffrey just gave him an amused look. “Hey, JD, tell me about Jensen. What do you know about him?”

“Why, you interested?” Jeffrey said and laughed. He looked at Jared’s face. “Oh crap, you are interested in him. This is just bad news, Jay.”

“What do you mean?”

“Jensen’s the Alpha and that means that he’s going to seek a mate,” Jeffrey said, looking at Jared. “You’re looking for a challenge. He’ll see right through you.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “Come on, dude, he’s still a guy.”

“But he’s not just a guy. He’s Alpha and that puts him on a whole different playing field. You should get to know him first, change it up for him. He wouldn’t expect that,” Jeffrey murmured, smiling like he had a secret.

“He seems like a guy that’s hard to know. I mean, I asked him out to lunch today and he got pissed and turned me down flat. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was a fucking prude.”

Jeffrey laughed, falling back in his chair. “Knowing you, you probably propositioned him.”

Jared rolled his eyes and made a face. “He’s got no sense of humor, man.”

“You have to finesse the sale, Jared. It’s like I’ve always taught you when you first started working for me. You have to read him, find what he wants most, and tailor your pitch to what he wants. He’s the kind of guy that’ll buy an American car because he’s loyal to the core. But if you get to know that core, you’ll be able to close the deal.”

Jared tapped his bottom lip with his finger, staring at Jeffrey for a long moment. When he was eighteen, he came to work for Jeffrey, fresh out of high school. He didn’t know anything about selling cars – let alone selling a high end vehicle like a Bentley. He spent the first three months working every angle in order to close the deal. He wondered why Jeffrey kept him on the job for so long when he was pushing maybe one or two sales per month. But Jeffrey just gave him a pat on the back and told him to keep trying to close every deal.

He’d been there for six months when Jared put in his two week notice. He walked into Jeffrey’s office right before closing and told him that he wasn’t cut out to sell cars. He took Jared out to grab a bite at a local diner and then taught him about closing the deal. Jeffrey read what was in Jared’s core and got him to stay to finish out the year. It wasn’t about trying to hustle the customer. It wasn’t even about the car. It was about finding out what they wanted and giving it to them.

“I guess I’ve been so arrogant about it, I forgot that Jensen’s just the same as anyone else,” Jared said, smiling to himself.

“You have a real gift for reading people, Jay. I’ve seen you close the deal with people who never thought about buying a Bentley. You’re genuine; people can see that and they react to it. You bring out something in others. That’s the secret to your success.”

Jared quirked a grin at his mentor. “Thanks, JD…that means a lot to hear you say that.”

Jeffrey stood up and laughed deeply. “Sure, kid, no problem. Long overdue.” He straightened his jacket and turned to leave. “How’s that one out-of-state customer who is sitting on the fence?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll close it by the end of the day.”

“That’s seven out-of-state sales for you this week. I think you’ve just beat your own record.”

Jared laughed, nodding. He watched Jeffrey walking towards the door. “Hey, is there a bonus for that?”

Jeffrey snorted, rolling his eyes. He glanced at Jared over his shoulder as he walked into the lobby. “Close your last deal, Jay, and we’ll talk.”

Jared bit his lip and then smiled, running a hand over his face. He picked up his phone and dialed Chad’s number.

“Murray.”

“Hey, it’s me. Are we still on for tonight?”

“Yeah. What time do you want to meet up at Moonlight Lounge?”

Jared considered it. “Come over to my place first. I want to talk about finishing what we started. I want to talk to the bookies and make sure that they’re holding everyone’s tab and not closing the books. We’ll only invite those who placed bets; keep the new location secret until fight night.”

“All right, sounds good. I’ll see you around 9:30.”

“Yep.” Jared said, setting the phone down. He leaned back in his chair and tapped his finger on the top of his desk. Later, he’d call around to find a good place to hold the fights – somewhere out of the city, maybe closer to San Antonio. He could get a couple of days off from work, visit some of his old friends, and win back the money that he bet.

Jeffrey was right – Jared was rich and bored; he was looking for something exciting. And he would take Jeffrey’s warning to not get caught to heart. If there was one thing that Jared did very well, he always learned from his mistakes and he didn’t make a second one.

***

Jared’s Penthouse  
One Circle Avenue, Suite 2100  
Downtown Dallas

Jared walked into his 10,000-square foot penthouse in downtown Dallas, overlooking the city. He was on the 21st floor and there was a long glass enclosed balcony that wrapped around one side of the penthouse. Jeffrey had given him the tip that the penthouse was on the market and he got it nearly dirt cheap, far less than it was valued. He knew that Jeffrey had something to do with it – for a long time, he felt like he owed Jeffrey Dean Morgan for all the things that he did, but Jeffrey really didn’t want anything from him. He was more like a father to him than anything else.

Frankly, Jared would’ve fucked him anyway. JD was hot for an older guy.

He walked into the kitchen and got out a chilled bottle of water, twisting the cap and taking a long drink. He wandered into his bedroom and turned on the lights, approving of how everything was cleaned and organized. Jared may be a reckless son-of-a-bitch, but he hated anything too messy or complicated.

Looking at the digital clock, he saw that it was only a little after 8 o’clock. He’d take a quick shower and be dressed and ready when Chad showed up later. He’d call the bookies and Chad would call all the people who placed bets and they’d square things, find a safe location to finish the games.

Chad was flipping through TV channels and lounging on the black leather couch when Jared got out of the shower, dressed and ready to go out for the night. He noted that Chad was wearing his black leather pants and a dark burgundy silk shirt, his werewolf scent a mixture of low key arousal, excitement, and energy. The fingertips of his left hand was tucked under the waist band of his pants. Chad flicked his eyes up at Jared and smirked.

“Don’t jerk-off on my leather couch, man.”

“We ready, Princess?”

“Suck me,” Jared said without any heat.

“Bring it, big boy.” Chad said, nonchalantly. Jared often wondered what Chad would do if Jared wanted to take him up on it some day. Probably balk and run away like a frightened virgin girl.

Jared laughed deeply, picking up his cell phone. “Did you get the list of all the people who made a bet?”

“Yep. Called around to the books and got names and amounts. I called all of them and verified the amounts, payout percentages, all that shit,” Chad said, flipping the channel on the flat screen.

“All right. Good. Thanks, man.” Jared thumbed through his address book and dialed the number, putting the phone against his ear.

“Dairy Queen.”

“It’s Padalecki.”

“Hey, Jay-rud, what up?”

“Murray says that he squared it with all the books from our interrupted game night,” Jared said, softly.

“Yeah, all the boys and I are just waiting for you to find a new venue, brah.”

“I got something lined up,” Jared said, tapping his fingers against the marble counter top of his kitchen. “Let’s make it for this Saturday night.”

“Yeah, that’s fair, dude. I can spread the word to the rest of the fellas.”

Jared narrowed his eyes and let out a growl. “Yeah, well, keep this shit tighter than your ass hole because the last time was supposed to be just with the fellas, too. You got to wonder how the fuck with the cops got involved, right? You and I both know that you got a big rat. You ought to plug the leak because it’s not flooding on my side of the boat, brah.”

There was a long pause and the drugged out voice became serious and clear. “Yeah, man, we got a handle on it, Padalecki. We know that we got a rat and we’ll make sure to put a cage on the motherfucker.”

“Good. It’s ruining our business.”

“And we appreciate the business that you send our way, brah. Saturday. Hit me with the locale by Friday night and we can settle all bets.”

Jared nodded to himself. “Done. Later.”

“Out, baby.”

Jared rolled his eyes and ended the call. Fucking morons. If Jared actually had more time, he had considered running his own bookie services. A part of Jared thought it would be more efficient if he ran the books and he ran the games without having to deal with other people. But that put greater risk on him and Jared wasn’t going to spend any time in any kind of jail or cage.

He turned to see Chad still crashed out on the couch. He turned his head and gazed up at Jared.

“We in business?”

“Yeah.”

“What about the site?”

Jared chewed his bottom lip for a moment. “We can have the basement of Lou’s meat store on Saturday night at midnight. But we got to be out of there by 4 AM and the place has to be cleaned, no trace that we were down there.”

“Yeah, we can make sure to have a cleaning crew on standby,” Chad said, picking up his cell phone and putting in a reminder for himself on his To Do List. “So what was that about a rat?”

Jared sank into the plush leather chair and took a deep breath. “Someone’s been talking, but I don’t know who. It’s not any of us, it’s on the bookies. Malcolm will take care of it from his end.”

Chad frowned and sat up slowly. “Dude…”

“It’s about business, Chad, don’t think about it. It doesn’t concern us.” Jared reached out and placed his hand on Chad’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Now, come on, let’s go out, get drunk, and get lucky. I think we deserve a night out to howl at the moon.”

It took a moment for Chad to think things through. Jared watched as he swallowed and then ran his hand over his face. He blinked and gave Jared a long look. They were best friends since they were kids and Chad trusted Jared to keep him from slipping too deep into whatever they were doing. Chad might like the thrill, but he couldn’t afford to pay the price, not like Jared could and did.

“You all right now, buddy?”

Chad gave him a sly look and a smile. “Did you really just say ‘howl at the moon’ to me, man? That’s so fucking lame, Gaylord.”

“Fuck you,” Jared said, putting him into a headlock and laughing into Chad’s ear.

***

Moonlight Lounge  
29 Belvedere Avenue  
Downtown

Jared was drunk, but not trashed. His strong werewolf constitution processed the alcohol out of his system quickly, but not fast enough that he couldn’t get a sweet buzz from being drunk. He was safe in the club – safe to be himself, so to speak. One of the best things about Moonlight Lounge was that it was a werewolf-only establishment. There were only a handful of places that were still werewolf-only places. People like Jensen and the Were Council frowned upon segregation of werewolves and humans; didn’t like the idea of keeping the pack away from the people. Moonlight had strict rules about bringing human guests – reservations had to be made in advance; personal conduct had to be vetted. Moonlight Lounge was owned by Misha Collins, a wealthy werewolf from Los Angeles who came to Dallas to set up shop and to be part of Dallas pack.

Jared liked Misha right off the bat. He looked like an Angel – pretty boy face, curly brown hair, earnest blue eyes – but Misha was a hot and dirty fuck and his clubs were always the best in service, food, and adult entertainment.

He left Chad in the capable hands of three lovely young werewolves, hungry for his companionship – and Jared’s cash, not that Chad cared one way or another. One of the girls was opening Chad's leather pants and Jared smirked at his friend, turning to give them the private booth. Jared smiled as he closed his eyes, inhaling all the deep and unique scents of werewolves surrounding him. He was sweaty from dancing, his body pressed tight and hot against other wolves. He made his way towards the quieter lounge part of the club. Moonlight Lounge was split into three distinct rooms: the bottom level was the dance floor, the first level was the restaurant and bar, and the second level…well, Misha knew how to take care of his werewolf clientele. When there was that much pheromones in the air, wolves had very real needs.

Jared sauntered to the bar, leaning against him. He caught the bartender’s eye and ordered a chilled vodka straight. He leaned against the edge of the bar and looked into the dining room. Like a targeting system, Jared homed onto Jensen’s scent. He took a deep breath, nearly dizzy from the combination of pheromones and Jensen. He was hard under his black jeans and he clenched his fists when he saw Jensen’s companion for the night. She was a dark haired beauty, petite and perfect – just the kind of wolf that would be a Beta for the Alpha.

Bitch.

Jared narrowed his eyes, growling low in his throat. A few of the wolves near him gave him a look and carefully moved away, giving him space. No one ever wanted to mess with a wolf who was on the prowl…and pissed off about something.

Who the fuck was she? It was obvious to Jared that the bitch was familiar with Jensen, touching him and laughing, tossing her hair and baring her neck. Fucking whore.

Jared picked up his vodka and tilted back his head, taking the shot. It burned slightly at the back of his throat and he continued to glare across the room at the back of Jensen’s head. He bit his tongue, tasting blood. It made him feel even more feral and out of control. Blood was always dangerous to a werewolf.

Mine.

Jared bared his canines, feeling his eyes turning amber. He dropped the glass on the top of the bar and gripped the cushioned edge, his heart beating frantically. He could feel the blood pumping into his hard cock, right into his brain. He watched as Jensen excused himself politely, placing his linen napkin on the table, and standing up. The woman smiled at Jensen as he turned, heading for the men’s room.

Jared stayed close to the side of the room, tracking Jensen, following him. He let out a soft growl as Jensen turned into the narrow hallway, pushing the door into the men’s room. Jared followed, nearly slamming the door against the wall in his hurry to join Jensen. He was running on instinct now; fuck or fight. He preferred to fuck Jensen; but a part of him wouldn’t mind a good fight with him, too. And then maybe a fuck, when Jared won his fight for Jensen. Yeah, that sounded right.

He saw Jensen turn around, a surprised and puzzled look on his face. Jared grabbed him by the necktie and pulled him into an empty stall, shoving Jensen against the wall and locking the door.

“What the fuck is your problem, Padalecki!” Jensen hissed at him, hands on his shoulders, keeping Jared’s chest away. “Get your hands off of me!”

Jared bit his lip and leaned closer, pushing his nose right against Jensen’s neck and smelling him deeply. “You smell good, Alpha. You smell like you’re ready for fucking.”

He tucked his thigh between Jensen’s knees, pressing against him firmly, and finding Jensen hard. Jared let out a little chuckle.

“Fucking lying to me the whole time, playing like you didn't want me,” he mumbled, licking Jensen’s neck. He knew that Jensen wanted him. He knew it!

“You’re drunk and for that I’ll let this go,” Jensen said, his voice very calm and low. “But I’ll let it go just this one time, Padalecki.”

“I want to fuck you.” Jared husked against him, moving his hips and rubbing his cock against Jensen’s groin. He lifted his head and watched Jensen lick his lips and moved quickly to capture the tip of Jensen’s tongue with his teeth. He licked broadly against Jensen’s lips, tasting him.

Jensen let out a rich growl, his hands grabbing Jared’s wrists tightly. Jared blinked and he was held against the wall on the opposite side of the stall, panting at Jensen. He tried to pull his wrists away, but Jensen’s eyes were glowing green, his strength as Alpha becoming very obvious. Jared couldn’t budge or break Jensen’s hold. It was fucking hot. No one could hold Jared down and Jensen did it without breaking a sweat.

“You stupid fuck,” Jensen said, throatily. “You think you can just grab me, your Alpha, in the men’s restroom and try to fuck me? You don’t get to have me, Padalecki. And I don’t fuck werecubs who don’t know how to play my game.”

“I can play your game any fucking time you want,” Jared said, trying to lean forward to kiss him. He moaned when Jensen pinned both of his wrists against the wall, his hold brutally strong. Jensen’s other hand grabbed a hold of his hair and pulled hard, forcing Jared’s neck into an arch. Jensen wanted him to submit, but Jared was no Beta. He didn’t bend over; he didn’t kneel; and he didn’t submit. He eyed Jensen and growled dangerously at him. “I can take you, Jensen.”

“You don’t have the control to be my pet,” Jensen whispered into his ear, the tip of his tongue coming out to delicately lick the shell of Jared’s ear; sharp teeth nipping on his earlobe. Jared flinched and then let out another low growl of pleasure. “You don’t have the stamina to be mine for more than five minutes. You think you know what you want – you want to fuck me – what makes you think I’d ever give you the pleasure? Hmmm?”

“Fuck…Jensen—“

Jared let out a pained growl when Jensen pulled his hair and Jensen sank his teeth into Jared’s neck. It was a hard bite, but not enough to draw blood. It was the warning bite of a dominant werewolf. He could rip out Jared’s throat if he wanted – and as Alpha, he was justified to put Jared down for this.

“What the fuck do you have that I want?” Jensen hissed at him and then released him. They were both panting thickly and heavily.

Jared leaned against the wall, weak and trembling. His hand pressed against the stall door, trying to hold himself up. He could feel the Alpha’s power seeping into his bones. Jared let out a loud, surprised groan, coming in his pants without a single touch. He watched as Jensen inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring, eyes piercing and stony. He just stared at Jared, watching him come in front of him from nothing but the Alpha’s power.

Jared couldn’t stop trembling. He stared at Jensen. His legs were shivering, his thigh muscles tight and hurting. He knew Jensen could see him, see everything. He swallowed, the pit of his belly shaking, and watched as Jensen reached for the door and unlocked it. Jared nearly jumped from the sound of metal hitting metal.

Jensen gave him one long look, his eyes fluorescent. Jared bit his lip, eyes lowering in deference. He had never, ever felt anything like it. It was like he had discovered this need inside of him – it twisted him, made him think about what he was, what he wanted. He watched Jensen’s feet as he stepped out of the stall, leaving him alone.

Jared caught his breath as soon as Jensen left the men’s room. His palms slapped against the wall in front of him and he panted deeply, drooling a little, feeling the queasiness in his gut shivering down his legs. He needed to sit down. He was feeling shocky and scared. He pressed his face against the back of his hands, just trying to breathe.

He slipped his right hand down and pressed it against his cock, feeling the wetness against his palm.

 

Part 4: Jensen

The Moonlight Club

“An Alpha who lacks control is no leader for the pack. They’ll follow you if you ask; and you’ll experience times when you must demand obedience. Never take advantage of their love for you. An Alpha must make personal sacrifices in order to be just and compassionate; and he must always know himself first before he can know his pack. An Alpha’s power comes from the pack’s strength; and the pack’s strength is dependent on an Alpha’s control, Jensen. Remember this. Don’t abuse them to satisfy your own desires, like the way your Grandfather did to the pack.”

He could hear his mother’s voice inside his head, one of the last things that she told him before she died. He was glad that she wasn’t a witness to his stupidity.

Jensen clenched his jaw as he walked out of the men’s room, knowing exactly what he would face from the werewolves in the club. There was no doubt that they felt his Alpha presence and scented his pheromones the minute Jared grabbed him by the necktie and dragged him into the restroom stall.

He walked into the main dining room to find that everyone had stilled; he could feel the beat of the music in his veins as he looked at the werewolves standing or sitting, some coyly, others straightforward, but all of them displaying, trying to catch his attention. Jensen composed his outer demeanor. But they all knew exactly what he was feeling and Jensen had never felt so exposed. He was humbled by their desire and he felt a hunger to be able to fulfill that primordial need to share his body with all of them. Right at this moment, he felt strong enough to endure it – craved it. He wanted to let go of the shackles of polite society and give in to his feelings.

An Alpha who lacks control is no leader for the pack.

Morgan was sitting at the table, her small hand covering her mouth, as she looked up at him. Her eyes were wide, a pretty blush on her face.

“My God, Jensen…what happened!”

How did he tell his kid sister that his control slipped and he wanted nothing more than to fuck the life out of a cocky werecub who didn’t know the rules? And that Jensen was in no mood to teach Jared anything except absolute submission. He could’ve done it; it was in his rights as Alpha to punish Jared. No one touched Jensen without his explicit invitation.

“We have to leave,” he said, tightly. “Come with me now, Morgan.”

She nodded, picking up her purse and standing quickly. He looked around the room and lifted his chin as Misha came towards them, two burly guards following him.

“Alpha, please,” Misha said, his voice low and respectful. “My men will take you to your car. I took the liberty of asking the valet to move your car to the back alley. It’s this way.”

Jensen nodded, motioning for Morgan to stick close to the guards. They hovered near her, leading them past the other wolves. None of them would dare touch the Alpha without his permission – because obviously, Jensen thought, nastily, they were raised to respect werewolf protocols, not like that…that Padalecki – so they stepped aside, watching him with longing, their eyes glowing impossibly bright, as they all scented him as he passed.

He accepted that when he became Alpha, he would always be known by his scent. Every werewolf would know him. The Alpha in him wanted them to come to him on their knees to worship him. His presence – whatever it was in him that made him the strongest of them – was a beacon. Right now, he could ask his pack to go to war for him and they would, from the oldest wolf to the youngest pup, with nothing but pure love in their hearts.

Jensen walked quickly; keeping his hand on his sister’s back, grounding himself to their sibling bond. The werewolf in her was strong, too, and he relied on her to get him to neutral territory before he started to revert to his instincts. Morgan gave him a slightly annoyed look over her shoulder, her hazel green eyes narrowed with warning: keep it together, Jensen.

Misha glanced at him several times, his blue eyes dilated, a flush on his cheeks. Jensen tried to ignore that he smelled like honeysuckle and bergamot; it was a heady mixture and his Alpha delighted in Misha’s warm scent. He had just enough control left in him to keep the wolf at bay. He knew that Misha responded to his arousal for him. His guards were werewolves, too, and no doubt affected by Jensen’s pheromones, but they were trained professionals and would not suffer the indignation of breaking from their training to drool over him. They wanted to show him that they were worthy and he approved. He was grateful for their professionalism, for their control; and he was disgusted by his lack of it.

“Alpha…”

“Misha,” Jensen warned, taking a deep breath. Please, no declarations of loyalty or love or service. Jensen wouldn’t be able to remain…intact.

“You are always welcomed here,” he said, softly. “I would be honored by your next visit when you are feeling…like yourself again.”

Jensen couldn’t help the grin that formed on his face. The club owner was a clever diplomat. He glanced at Misha and met his eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They made their way to the back alley, the valet stood by the driver’s door, and the engine was running. He moved around the car and opened the door for Morgan as Jensen clasped Misha’s hand in a firm handshake, feeling the other wolf trembling at his touch.

“My sister and I thank you for your discretion. I will make sure to compensate you for tonight.”

“Alpha, it’s our pleasure.”

“I won’t presume to take advantage of your hospitality, Misha. I’ll make sure that my assistant, Chris Pine, contacts you tomorrow.”

Misha gave him a small, sympathetic grin. “As you wish, Alpha.”

Jensen gave Misha’s guards a nod of acknowledgement and slipped into his car, shutting the door quickly. He pulled on his seatbelt and put the car into gear, clenching his teeth hard until he thought his jaw would crack.

“Jesus, Jen, what the hell happened in there? I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” Morgan said, breathlessly. “And honestly!” She smacked Jensen on the arm. “Did you have to blast the entire city block with your pheromones? Thank God we’re family and it didn’t affect me like that but every single one of them would’ve bent over and let you fuck them if you wanted!”

Jensen cringed. “Do you have to talk like that?”

“It’s been years since you lost control.”

Jensen seethed, trying to push down, unsuccessfully, his arousal to a manageable level. “It was that damned Padalecki.”

“Jared Padalecki?” Morgan said and then laughed softly. “Dallas pack’s own big bad wolf? He’s such a player, Jen.”

Jensen rolled his eyes. “Of course he’d have a reputation.” It was another reason why Jensen couldn’t even consider him to be anything but a pain in his neck.

Morgan snorted, rolling her eyes. “Everybody knows Jared.”

“It’s not like I pay any attention to pack gossip.”

“He’s a fine werewolf…big and tall. I’ve heard some really scandalous things about him, you know,” she said, nonchalantly. “I’m not surprised that he’s displaying himself to you. That’s what happened, right? He made a move and you got horny. So what happened? He made a pass at you or something?” She looked at him and Jensen couldn’t meet her gaze, staring at the road. “Oh shit, he did, didn’t he? You had this freak out because he bent over for you in the men’s room!”

“Morgan! That’s not what happened!” It wasn’t like he was going to admit to anything; and definitely not to his kid sister. He gave her his fiercest displeased expression, hoping that she’d drop it.

“That’s so dirty, Jensen.”

“Shut up! Please, for the love of God, stop talking about my sex life!” Jensen hissed at her, glaring as he sped along the empty streets towards her apartment complex. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, forcing himself not to think about Jared having a fucking orgasm right in front of him. “Jesus!”

“You opened that door when you blasted the entire city with your ‘sex now’ call. So you wouldn’t consider him to be—“

“No. No way, Morgan,” Jensen stated, shaking his head with finality. He focused on driving, pushing the car down the street. They were just a couple of blocks from her apartment complex and he eased off on his speed as they neared it. Jensen wasn’t going to think about it, not with his sister in the car with him. He turned into the driveway of her complex and stopped the car.

Morgan placed her small hand on Jensen’s shoulder. He felt some of the tension leave him and he let out a breath. “Take it easy, Jen.”

“It’s okay, kiddo.” Jensen gave her a reassuring grin; but it was a total lie. “I just need to be alone and shake this off. Being in the club with so many werewolves and all of their scents…it really got to me. I can pull myself together.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” she murmured, softly. “You need a mate. You need someone to balance you out. As Alpha, you need a Beta – someone strong enough to take it, you know?”

If she only knew.

“I know, Morgan, but it’s not like I can just mate with anyone. The Alpha in me…it’s very strong and I have the same kind of instincts that Grandfather had.”

Morgan gave him a long and steady look. “Well, I know that you don’t have a craving to see blood, so it must be something sexual.”

“I’m not a total deviant, you know.” Jensen just needed to be in control.

“I know you’re not a deviant, give me some credit, huh?” She said and then nodded, giving him a small smile. “Maybe you should take Jared Padalecki as a lover. It might help you calm down. You’re always so controlled, it can’t be healthy. When was the last time you had sex? Like two months, right? With Ian Somerhalder?”

“Why do you know that? Does everyone know that?” Jensen was mortified; he could only imagine what the pack thought of his sex life.

“Well…yeah. Don’t be embarrassed. You’re my brother, but you’re my pack Alpha, too. Your well being is important to me and sex is a big part of being a werewolf,” she said, giving him a look that was years beyond her age. “You want to come up and hang out with me? I don’t think you should be alone. We can get really trashed and drunk dial your friends.”

Jensen laughed softly and then shook his head, unbelievably grateful for her understanding and for always knowing the right things to say. “It’s okay. It’s better that I take care of it my way.”

Morgan leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “All right, big brother, call me if you need something.”

“I will. Good night, kiddo.”

She looked at him as she got out of the car. “Try to get some rest.”

Jensen watched as Morgan walked into the lobby of her building, waving to her when she turned to look at him. With her safely away, Jensen was able to let the Alpha slip and he growled, pressing his face against his arm. He closed his eyes, hands gripping the steering wheel, and made the only decision he could accept. He reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone. There were some things that he would never be able to tell his younger sister, no matter how mature or understanding. Some things were not meant to be shared with family or the pack. He was still burning from the intensity of his encounter with Jared.

God, that little fuck…that hot little fuck…

Quickly, he put the car in gear and pulled out of the driveway. His fingers knew which buttons to press and he connected the call, putting the phone against his ear. It rang three times before it picked up, a familiar sleepy voice on the other end.

“Jensen, do you know what time it is?” Tom said, his voice gravelly and soft.

Jensen looked at his digital clock panel. “It’s quarter to midnight.”

Tom sighed and then chuckled. “I wasn’t being literal.”

“I’m sorry, Tom, but I need to see you and Mike right now. It’s important.”

He heard Tom mumble something and Mike respond. He couldn’t make out the words, but he sensed that Tom understood.

“Are you all right?”

Jensen took a deep breath and choked out a laugh. “My God, I’m so far from all right, I’m…I’m…Tom, please.”

“Get your ass over here right now, Ackles,” Mike said and Jensen pressed his foot on the gas, running yellow lights through the downtown district.

Jensen didn’t remember if he said thank you before ending the call. He threw the phone on the passenger seat, both hands on the wheel as he raced towards the outskirts of the city, putting his car into high gear, heading towards Tom’s and Mike’s house.

Shit. Shit! He shouldn’t be asking his best friends to do this for him. He had no right to ask, to want, or to fucking need this from them. But where else could he go? There was no one else that he could show his true nature, no one he trusted. It would scare the pack; they would say that he was out of control. Or worse yet, they would all accommodate his Alpha needs, virgin sacrifices to the monster in the temple. Like the way that the pack accommodated his Grandfather’s bloodthirsty need to shed wolf blood.

God, he was just like his Grandfather.

He was losing it. The Alpha uncoiled impatiently, telling him to go back to the club and to drag Jared out by his hair, throw him against the nearest surface and fuck him, bite him, make him go to his knees in utter submission.

No, damn it! Jensen slammed his hand against the dashboard. The small part of him that was still coherent knew he shouldn’t damage his hands. He needed them to be in perfect working order for the multiple projects that were ongoing at the Institute. He had no right to fuck up years of work because of a childish temper tantrum.

He needed to rein in his wolf. He was dangerous. It had been so long since he had let this side of him slip up like this. He was certain that he had gotten a handle on it—and then Jared Padalecki had to come sniffing around, shooting his pheromones at him, just begging Jensen to take him. This was such a bad idea, a mistake that Jensen couldn’t afford to make.

***

Tom’s and Michael’s Residence

Jensen walked to the front door of the Mediterranean-styled house, taking deep and measured breaths, hands clenching and unclenching. He didn’t want his friends to see him like this; it was the worst he’d ever been and the part that was human in him was ashamed at the loss of control. Before he could even ring the bell, the door flung open and Tom stood in the foyer, shirtless, dressed in thin pajama bottoms. Jensen let his eyes trail across his best friend’s chest, noting that it was smooth, strong, and beautiful.

“Tom,” he gasped out, shaking in tension.

“Oh hell, Jen, come inside,” Tom said, wrapping his arm around Jensen’s shoulder and pulling him into the warm house. He closed the door and locked it, then pulled Jensen along with him towards the kitchen. “Mike’s already downstairs waiting for you.”

“I’m sorry for putting you both in this situation. I just lost my—“

“Shut up, Jen.” Tom said, walking Jensen down to the basement. Jensen closed his eyes as Tom unbuttoned his jacket and slipped it off his shoulders, slinging it on a nearby counter.

Their basement was a playroom for adults. It was richly decorated with dark blue velvet and leather, steel posts and contraptions of all kinds, specially designed to hold a body securely. Jensen had needed to visit them in the playroom only a few times in all the years that he knew them – that when they offered him this solace, Jensen didn’t have it in him to refuse.

Tom whispered against his ear, making Jensen shiver. “I’ve already fucked him twice tonight, but when he told you to come here, he got so hard. He’s waiting for you, Jensen.”

Jensen swallowed, letting his eyes assess Tom’s long time lover and partner. “Oh, Christ.”

Mike’s skin was ivory and stunning as he knelt on the floor, knees apart, and hands behind his back. Jensen let his eyes slide down Mike’s naked body, taking in the faint blush on his chest, down to the fine lines of his muscles, to the hard cock pressed tight against his belly. His head was bowed, but he looked up and Jensen met his sparkling blue eyes, a hint of a smile on his lips. Mike licked his lips and nodded his head once at Jensen.

Consent given. Jensen didn’t realize how much he needed that until he saw it in Mike’s eyes.

Tom kissed his cheek, large palm warm against his neck. Jensen growled softly and nuzzled him, taking comfort in his scent. He felt the animal in him slamming against his carefully constructed barriers, feeling the cracks slither across the last of his control as the Alpha purred his approval and howled his want of the beautiful submissive kneeling on the floor. Want him. Now. Give him to me. Now.

“Forgive me,” he whispered, looking into Tom’s blue eyes.

“Nothing to forgive, Jensen.” Tom murmured, leaning forward to kiss him. “Alpha, you have us.”

Jensen swallowed and closed his eyes for a moment, letting go of his bonds, unleashing the Alpha inside of him to come out to play. It really had been too long. “Then go sit down in the chair. Keep your hands where I can see them.”

Tom lowered his eyes and bowed his head, releasing Jensen and moving to sit in the velvet armchair in the corner of the room. He placed his hands flat on the thick armrests, eyes glittering as he stared at Jensen. From there, he would get to watch every single thing that Jensen did to Mike.

Jensen took off his silk necktie, dropping it on the floor. He unbuttoned his shirt cuffs, rolling them up as he walked towards Mike. He circled him, eyes flicking over him, taking in the shape of his shoulders, the softness of his skin, the way his hard cock seemed to curve to the left against his belly. Mike smelled like fresh bread and wild berries. He let out a soft growl to offer his appreciation. Mike and Tom both responded with a low murmur of their own.

“Stand up,” Jensen said, his voice low. He never raised his voice; he never had to. He watched as Mike stood, graceful and loose limbed. Jensen always believed that he was a perfect submissive. He was Beta to Tom’s Alpha and they were well matched. And outside of this, Tom and Mike were equally strong. He was no slave to Tom; he was there to please and be pleased. He allowed Tom to take care of him. And now, he allowed Jensen to take care of him. Jensen loved them but they were never lovers and never would be. For Jensen, this wasn’t about sex but something far more primal; this was one of the safe ways that Jensen could express his need and let slip his fierce hold on his werewolf.

He walked around in front of Mike and placed his finger under Mike’s chin, lifting his face to look into his glowing grey eyes. “I want you to watch me.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Jensen lifted one of Mike’s wrists and reached up to the leather cuffs hanging on thick chains above him. One time, Jensen raised the chains so that Mike had to stand on his tiptoes to keep his balance while Jensen paddled the hell out of his bare ass – but not tonight. He tucked Mike’s wrist into it and quickly buckled the cuff, tight enough to give Mike something to focus on but loose enough that it wouldn’t mark his skin. He picked up Mike’s other wrist and buckled him into the other cuff. His arms hung loosely beside his head. Mike braced his feet slightly apart and he stood proud, smiling slightly. When Jensen looked at Mike again, the wolf’s eyes were steady on him, warmly amber.

He traced his palm down Mike’s chest, caressing his skin gently. It wasn’t about giving Mike pain. It was about putting Mike through his paces, giving Jensen what he wanted, and allowing Jensen to be the one to give Mike all the things that he needed. He trailed his nails down the skin, faint lines showing up on the skin. Jensen turned his hand and slowly ran his nails through the trimmed pubes, smiling when he heard Mike hiss, his belly trembling as he clenched under Jensen’s teasing scratches.

“You’re very beautiful, Beta.”

“Thank you, Alpha.”

“But you already knew that.”

Mike’s grin widened, but he didn’t say anything, he didn’t need to.

“Smug bastard,” Jensen muttered as Mike let out a soft chuckle and a nod of agreement.

“So I’ve been told many times,” Mike said, looking over Jensen’s shoulder at Tom.

Jensen smirked, seeing the echo of it in Mike’s pleased grin. Touching Mike gave the Alpha his needed steadiness to do this and made him feel drowsy and content. He wouldn’t do a single thing to Mike until the Alpha was calm. Jensen moved to stand behind him, looking over his shoulder to watch Tom.

“Do you please your mate?”

“Every chance he gives me, Alpha.”

Jensen grinned, tucking his nose against the nape of Mike’s neck and inhaling deeply. He closed his eyes, his body shuddering against Mike’s back. It was always about scent for werewolves.

“I can smell him on you.”

“Do you like it?”

He licked at the back of Mike’s bald head and let out a soft chuckle. “You know I do.”

Jensen ran his hands down Mike’s waist, along his hips, and to the strong thighs. He ran his palms up, fingertips brushing against his tight balls and hard cock, not a real touch, just a tease. Mike gasped and moved against Jensen, shifting his hips slowly so that his ass moved over Jensen’s own hardness under his pants.

“Bad wolf,” Jensen murmured, hands pressing Mike’s hips forward and off of him.

“I only want to please you, Alpha.”

“You do.” Jensen moved his lips against Mike’s ear. “Look at your mate. He’d do anything I’d ask.”

They both looked at Tom, his eyes glowing, sitting patiently in the velvet chair as his chest rose and fell quickly. The front of Tom’s pajama bottoms was tented, his erection trapped under the loose fabric.

“I won’t make you beg to come tonight,” Jensen whispered, smiling as Mike closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. He chuckled. “Disappointed?”

“Never by you, Alpha.”

The few times that he needed them for this, he never had sex with them. It wasn’t about his pleasure, he never came when he was here; it was about wanting their submission and seeing them give over to him in absolute trust and love, knowing that Jensen was the one who gave them pleasure. Jensen discovered this was the only thing that quieted his Alpha. His Grandfather had needed the blood; Jensen needed this. He slipped his hand across Mike’s belly and rubbed his palm down the length of Mike’s cock. He was already on the edge, impossibly turned on. The skin of his cock was tight and thin, hot to the touch. Jensen wrapped his hand around it and stroked him gently, enjoying the way that Mike writhed against him, panting his desire.

“You can’t stop yourself, can you, Beta?”

“I’m going to need some assistance, Alpha.”

“You already came twice.”

Mike chuckled. “Tom fucked me twice, but that didn’t mean he let me come both times.”

“That explains your…excitement at my arrival,” Jensen murmured.

Mike turned his head and looked at Jensen. “Not the only reason, Alpha.”

“I’m glad you’re honest with me about it,” Jensen said, moving his hand away and ignoring the way Mike’s sigh of disappointment tugged at him. He walked towards the counter, eyeing the different toys on display. Tom and Mike were meticulous with their toys, cleaning them diligently and replacing them with new ones. “You’re lucky that I don’t have it in me to play for a long time.”

He picked up a simple leather strap with three silver snaps and walked back to stand in front of Mike. He felt his mouth curve upwards to a small smirk as Mike stared at him, mouth slightly parted, tongue flicking out to lick the scar on his top lip. He chuckled softly as he grabbed Mike’s cock, wrapping the leather cockring around his cock and balls, snapping it into place. Mike groaned, throwing back his head, eyes falling to slits and staring at Jensen.

“Your mate has trained you so well, Beta.”

“Thank you, Alpha,” Mike whispered, smiling with quiet pride.

Jensen gave Mike an affectionate smile and walked back to the counter. He picked up the new bottle of lube and a medium sized butt plug. He went back to Mike and stood behind him, lubing the plug generously. He dropped the bottle on the floor and pushed Mike forward, pressing the tip of the plug against his opening and sliding it all the way in. Mike let out a groan and Jensen looked at Tom, enjoying the sight of him sitting still, waiting for permission, eyes staring at him. He was proud of Tom’s ability to sit there and watch as another touched Mike. Jensen didn’t think he would ever be able to sit calmly as someone else touched a lover that belonged to him. It was a testament of their friendship and trust that allowed Tom to give Mike to Jensen for just a few hours.

God, if only he could have both of them, it might actually make his life easier. But it wasn’t just about his needs; and he would not be unfair to his best friends just to soothe his inner beast.

He flipped the small button at the base of the plug, Mike’s loud whimpers filling the room as Jensen adjusted the vibration to its highest setting.

“Alpha—“

“Shhh…show me.” Jensen pressed his forehead against Mike’s shoulder. He closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of Mike’s surrender. If only Jensen could have this permanently; a mate of his own. He wasn’t only interested in the pack’s submission; as Alpha, he was their leader and it was his right; but a mate of his own…someone equal to his strength in all things except in title…Jensen didn’t know if he’d ever find a werewolf that could be his Beta.

The Alpha growled, reminding him that there was a wolf out there.

Stop thinking about him!

“Tom, take off your pants and come here.” Jensen said, lifting his head to watch as Tom stood slowly, his hands slipping the pajama pants off his hips and stepping out of them. He gave a small smile as Jensen looked his fill. Where Mike was pale and smooth all over, Tom was made of tanned and flawless skin. He was an airbrushed dream; Tom could have easily found a career in Hollywood with his good looks and his down-to-earth charm, but instead, Tom chose a life looking into a microscope. Hollywood’s loss was Jensen’s gain. He felt his heart clench with love as Tom walked across the room towards them, muscles shifting, cock hard and red, a sheen of sweat on his chest. “Kneel in front of Mike.”

Jensen palmed the back of Mike’s neck. “Look at your mate and watch him.”

Mike gazed down at Tom and they exchanged a smile.

“Suck him, slowly, take your time and give him pleasure.”

Tom licked his lips, wantonly. “Yes, Alpha.”

Jensen walked around them and stood behind Tom. He watched as Mike’s head leaned to the side, face lowered to watch Tom, who stared up at him as he slowly moved his mouth up and down Mike’s cock. Mike gave breathy whimpers, his hips moving unhurriedly. Jensen reached down and ran his fingers through Tom’s hair. His fingertips stroked the back of his neck and he felt Tom shiver from the sensation. Jensen placed his other hand on Mike’s cheek and he felt them moan, a surge of electricity going through them, connecting them.

“Alpha,” Mike murmured, turning his face into Jensen’s hand, lips pressing kisses against his skin.

“Not yet.” Jensen said, tugging on Tom’s hair, pulling him off. “That’s enough. Go back to the chair and sit, hands where they were.”

Tom slipped away elegantly, sitting down on the velvet chair. Jensen stepped closer to Mike and smiled.

“What do you want tonight, Beta?”

“Whatever it is that you need, Alpha.”

Jensen chuckled. “You’re too clever. You remind me of—“ He stepped back, his hands leaving Mike all together. He was so surprised by what he nearly said; but then again, he wasn’t. Mike and Tom sensed that he had…stopped.

“Jensen—“

“Shhh, I’m all right,” Jensen told him, looking into Mike’s eyes. “Beta.”

Mike paused for a moment, eyeing Jensen thoughtfully. He gave a nod. “Alpha.”

He refused to let himself think about…Jared…and walked behind Mike, pressing against him close. His hands moved over silky flesh until his hands found Mike’s cock again and he wrapped his hand around his flesh. His other hand braced against Mike’s stomach and Jensen started to stroke him, hard tugs, firm grasp, knowing exactly what the sub liked best.

“Oh fuck,” Mike groaned, breathlessly. “Fuck, please, Alpha, oh God…”

“Shhh…”

Mike bit his bottom lip and flung back his head on Jensen’s shoulder, panting thickly. The chains above them jingled as Mike grabbed for the metal links, holding tightly as he arched and twisted against Jensen, the cockring keeping him from coming right away.

“Submit to me,” Jensen whispered into his ear.

Mike let out a heavy groan and he stopped moving, holding himself still as Jensen continued to stroke him, over and over, thumb sliding over the wet head. The Alpha growled in approval and Jensen opened his eyes, looking at Tom.

“Come here.”

Tom came towards them, his eyes roving hungrily over Mike. Jensen released his hold on Mike and stepped away.

“Patience is always rewarded,” Jensen murmured, smiling at Tom.

“Thank you, Alpha.”

“Give me the lube.”

Tom bent to pick up the bottle of lube, handing it to Jensen. He snapped the top and squeezed out a handful, cupping Tom’s cock and slicking it up slowly, watching him. Tom’s eyes fluttered for a moment and Jensen wrapped his hand tight, just below the head, and then pulled his hand away as Tom let out a gasp, his hips chasing after Jensen’s hand.

“Alpha,” Tom whispered, lips parting.

“Take him slow and hard, but don’t let him come.”

Jensen turned off the vibrator and slipped the buttplug out of Mike slowly, teasingly. Mike pressed his face against his arm, breathing noisily. He moved away as Tom stood behind Mike, his hand on Mike’s hip, gripping him tight enough to mark and bending him as far as the restraints would allow. Jensen continued stepping away, his back against the counter where he dropped the buttplug.

He watched as Tom turned his head, looking at him as he slipped his cock against Mike’s lithe ass and then swiveled his hips against him. With his other hand, Tom grabbed his cock and maneuvered so that he could push into Mike with one smooth push in.

All three of them moaned and Jensen breathed through his mouth, growling softly. He watched as Tom closed his eyes, both hands now on Mike’s hips, pulling him back roughly as he sank into him again and again. Mike’s head moved back, mouth open and teeth bared. They both made inarticulate sounds of pleasure as Tom fucked him relentlessly.

Jensen moved to the velvet chair, sitting down slowly. He reached into his lap and cupped his own hard cock, shuddering from his touch as he watched Tom’s pace increase, the hard slap of flesh against flesh loud in the room, punctuated by Mike’s moans and Tom’s grunts.

He loved watching them – dominant and submissive – Alpha and Beta – his best friend loving his mate. Tom was flushed red, his long bangs sticking to his sweaty forehead. They both turned at the same time and looked at Jensen, eyes begging for Jensen’s permission. Jensen sank back into the velvet chair, head reeling from the combined scent of sex and lust.

“Alpha, please,” Mike husked.

Tom flung back his head, hips still moving, pushing his cock into Mike hard and slow, just as Jensen order.

“Alpha! Fuck!” Tom yelled through clenched teeth. “Fuck, please!”

Jensen bit into his bottom lip and growled. His eyes narrowed, the Alpha wanting them to come.

“Now.”

Tom wrapped his arms around Mike’s chest, pulling him tight against him. He pressed his forehead against Mike’s shoulder, teeth sinking into soft flesh. Mike let out a howl that was part pain and part pleasure. One of Tom’s hands slid down to unsnap the cockring around Mike’s cock. Jensen wanted to see them unravel for him, at his command.

“Oh God…so close…please…fuck me!”

“Yeah…”

Mike jerked in Tom’s arms, his hips pushing back against Tom, bending forward like he was trying to get away but was trapped in Tom’s strong arms. Jensen watched as Tom tightened his hold around Mike’s chest and Mike let out a juicy, wondering sound as he came, hands pulling on his chains.

Jensen’s nostrils flared as he scented Mike’s come, watching him spurt, come dripping down his thighs to the floor. He watched Mike’s face contort under the weight of his pleasure, giving in to it completely, uninhibited, safe, and knowing that he was loved. Tom growled, muffling his sounds against Mike as he jerked, hips pistoning behind Mike, until he held Mike hard, moving to his toes as he slammed his cock into him as he followed Mike to his pleasure.

Tom gritted his teeth, huffing through his nose, and he sucked a bruisingly red mark on Mike’s neck. “Fuck, oh fuck, fuck…Mike…”

He watched as Tom turned Mike’s face towards him and kissed him, hands providing support, expressing only affection as Mike came down from his submissive high. Jensen looked away, giving his friends a little privacy. It was no longer his role to be their dominant and only Tom had the right to care for Mike like this.

Jensen was still hard, but he felt so connected to them that he was flushed with warmth and he felt spent. He stood and adjusted himself, heaving a soft sigh. He looked at his friends and felt calmer. “I’ll be in the kitchen. Come up when you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Alpha.”

Jensen walked slowly up the stairs and turned on the kitchen lights. He pulled down three mugs and began brewing coffee. He sat on a stool at the counter, exhausted, but centered again. Soon, Tom and Mike would come upstairs and he would have to give them answers. He closed his eyes and sighed, propping his head in the palm of his hand. He believed that he had a handle on this. He wasn’t a teenager anymore. His control was hard earned and to be so easily tempted by Jared was unexpected and unnerving. He had never been pursued so…blatantly. He needed to examine what this meant because if he wasn’t able to keep himself reined in, he would really pose a danger to the pack. There was nothing more damaging to a pack’s strength than an out-of-control Alpha.

“Jen?”

Jensen looked up at Tom and blinked. He hadn’t even heard them come upstairs.

“Are you better?” Mike said, leaning on the counter and peering at him.

“Yes.”

“Not that we mind you showing up at o-dark-o’clock for a little dom/sub play because I think I drained my entire supply of sperm for the next 24-hours when I came, but did something happen that made you go off the rails?”

“Mike,” Tom admonished softly, as he poured coffee into the mugs. They all liked it black and industrial strength.

“No, he has a right to ask me,” Jensen said, smiling up at Tom. “And so do you.”

“We might need more than just coffee for this discussion,” Tom said, setting the mugs in front of Jensen and Mike. He sat down on the stool next to Jensen and waited patiently.

“I had a strong reaction to Jared tonight at Moonlight Lounge. He followed me into the restroom and he tried to seduce me and I…well, let’s just say that I unleashed a little on him.”

Tom raised his eyebrow. “Unleased a little?”

Jensen made a face and nodded.

“Padalecki, huh?” Mike murmured, softly. He moved away from the counter and opened a cabinet, pulling down a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He set them on the counter and leaned over to open the large kitchen window, picking up the crystal ashtray from the ledge. He slid the pack towards Jensen.

Jensen lit a cigarette, drawing on it slowly, passing the pack to Tom.

“And by unleash you mean you lost control and your Alpha came out to play,” Tom said, lighting one for himself.

“Understatement.” Jensen sighed. “I bit his neck.”

Tom blinked, flicking his eyes to Jensen in surprise. “Shit. Did you taste his blood?”

Jensen shook his head. “No. I wanted to.” Jared probably would’ve let him, too.

“That’s a mating call if you ask me,” Mike said, snorting knowingly.

Jensen glared at him, even though Mike was right. That was why the Alpha was pushing him. He sensed something in Jared that called to him. But Jensen was ruled by logic and order, not by his animal instincts.

I’m not my Grandfather.

“You riled up the whole club, didn’t you? Probably felt your presence for a mile,” Mike said, raising his eyebrows at him.

“It was a very strong reaction.”

“He’s not a sub,” Tom said, softly. “From what I know of him, he tops all of his partners.”

“I’m not trying to find out if he’ll accommodate me, Tom,” Jensen said, frowning. “It’s not a good match. He’s too bullheaded and I don’t have the time for that.”

“And he might not understand your needs as Alpha; or he’d fight for power…and lose big time. The pack would bust him down to Omega status, bottom of the barrel,” Mike said, cocking his head, watching Jensen carefully. “You know, he’s probably a lot like me before I met Tom.”

Jensen and Tom exchanged grins. Michael Rosenbaum was a notorious submissive; a favorite around clubs that specialized in meeting his demanding needs. Mike was promiscuous, reckless, and looking for a dominant in all the wrong places. Jensen remembered the first time he and Tom met Mike, how Tom was completely turned off by Mike’s obnoxious behavior. They knew that Mike was displaying, but Tom was an Alpha who wanted a quiet and stable life. Mike was the opposite of quiet and stable. But then, Mike turned out to be the perfect companion for Tom, not afraid of speaking his mind gleefully pushing Tom’s buttons. And Tom was the perfect dom for Mike, giving Mike limits and taking him beyond them with nothing but love and passion. Jensen was envious of them – how they just knew each other so well; that perfect balance of Alpha and Beta.

“Mike’s right. Jared could be acting out because he’s a sub without a dom,” Tom said, shrugging.

Mike snagged Tom’s cigarette and inhaled slowly, enjoying the smoke. “Or you’re dealing with a Beta who’s a contender.” He exhaled from the side of his mouth, handing the cigarette back to Tom with a smile.

Tom sipped his coffee. “Dallas pack has always been loyal to our Alphas. We’ve never had an incident where a Beta overthrew a sitting Alpha.”

“Not that I’m saying that he’d do something stupid like that,” Mike said, taking a deep breath. “I think he’s a Beta in Alpha’s clothing.”

Jensen snubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and ran his hands over his face and head. “Jesus…I’m not going to figure this out tonight. I’m still a little wired from sensory overload. I do feel calmer. I can’t thank you guys enough for what you did for me. But I know I can’t come to you for this anymore. It’s not fair to you.”

“Jensen…” Tom began and then paused. He grinned and shook his head. “Look, you’re the strongest Alpha we’ve ever had. It can be intimidating and maybe a little scary. I don’t think you scared Jared away – in fact, I’m willing to bet you money that he’s probably more drawn to you after what happened at the club. He unleashed your Alpha, Jen, how many werewolves can do that off…off a battlefield?”

“I think you ought to at least think about it,” Mike murmured, grinning. “Maybe you should talk to him. He’s not a bad guy; decent wolf to have in your corner.”

“It’s only a matter of time before it happens again.”

Jensen knew that Tom was right. Now that his Alpha had gotten a taste, it was only a matter of time before he craved more than just a little love bite in a restroom stall.

“Look, Jen, if you need us, we’re here for you,” Mike said, putting his hand on Jensen’s shoulder. He looked at Tom and Tom nodded his agreement. “But it’s not what you really want. You won’t cross that line with us; you’re still holding back. I don’t know if Padalecki can do it for you, it’ll probably be a drag out fight all the way, but there’s a good chance that it might work out, man. Tommy and I, we love you, you know that, but you can’t lock away your nature like this.”

Jensen met Mike’s blue eyes, feeling the seriousness of his words. “Thanks, Mike.”

“Besides, you can come over next time and spank my ass red.”

“Mike!” Tom shouted, mockingly.

Mike laughed, wiggling his eyebrows at Tom. “Relax, baby, my ass belongs to you.”

“Damn right it does.”

“And I never forget that,” Jensen said, looking at Tom.

Tom nodded. “I know.”

 

Part 5: Jared

Lou’s Butcher Shop  
Downtown

Friday night. Fight night. It was nearly two in the morning by the time Jared stepped out of the taxi in front of the meat shop. He looked around and took a deep breath, walking down the alley to the back of the one storey building. The back door had a dim light over it. Jared could scent the werewolves inside. There was already blood in the air.

He knocked on the door and looked around the alley way. He nodded to himself, approving of the lack of cars on the street. The locks turned and the door creaked open, a sliver of light from inside the back of the kitchen haloing him. He looked past the door to see a gruff looking man.

“Hey.”

“Mr Padalecki, come on, get in here. We didn’t think you’d show tonight.”

Jared stepped inside as the man closed the door, sliding the three locks home. “I’m just here to see the game play out, man. How’s it going?”

The other man smirked, dark eyes glowing. “Dallas wolves lead the pack, sir. Last game is playing now. Pay out is going to be fucking madness if we sweep all the wins.”

“Cool,” Jared said, following him towards the staircase to the basement. He could hear the werewolf howls and loud male voices cheering as the other man opened the door.

“Have a good night, Mr Padalecki.”

“Thanks. You, too.”

Jared moved down the stairs, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. The smell of sweat and blood got him hard and he let out a low growl as he looked into the large room, men standing around the fight area, yelling nonsensical words and nothing but growls of pain or victory in the air. He moved through the crush of bodies until he saw Chad, cheering just as wickedly, his tawny hair matted down with sweat.

“Jay! You fucking made it!” Chad screamed, flinging his arms around Jared and thumping his back. “What the hell took you so long?”

“I had to do something,” Jared yelled into his ear, watching the two werewolves clawing and wrestling on the mat.

Chad raised his arms into the air, cheering loudly as the Dallas pack wolf swiped the legs out of the other wolf, knocking him on his ass and slamming his body over him, pinning him down. A loud roar echoed in the basement; cheers of victory following from the spectators.

“Fuckers! Yeah!” Chad yelled again, pumping his fist into the air.

Jared laughed, shaking his head.

“Dallas pack wins!” Someone yelled and loud cheers echoed throughout the room.

Jared shoulder thumped the wolves around him, sharing in the pride of winning. He flung back his head and howled, raising his fists into the air, whistling loudly.

“Damn! Twenty grand right into my pocket, fuckers!” Chad yelled, laughing maniacally, reaching up with his arm and nearly hanging off of Jared’s shoulder.

Jared watched as werewolves helped the two off the mat, patting them heartily on their backs, taking them to the on-site doctor who would clean and dress their wounds. Jared smiled widely, looking around at the faces of his pack mates, feeling his heart beating in unison with them. Jared thought that this was what it felt like to be connected to his pack; that a hundred years ago when packs warred against each other, the brethren would return victorious, hearts beating as one, strong as one. One pack.

“Come on, let’s go collect my money,” Chad said, grabbing Jared’s arm and pulling him through the throng to the bookies.

“What the fuck!”

“Hey!”

Jared looked over everyone’s head to see the bookies holding guns in their hands. Jared narrowed his eyes, frowning. The room fell silent and Jared pushed his way towards them. They pulled out badges from beneath their shirts.

“Malcolm, what the fuck is going on?”

“Back off, Padalecki,” he said, pointing his gun at Jared. “Look, this is the way it is. There’s no fucking payout, it’s a bust.”

“What?”

“You deaf and dumb, hair boy? I said that this is a bust.”

“You think you can leave this room alive?” Jared growled, the blood tearing through his body. He felt his body temperature skyrocket, the air on his body starting to stand. “You humans against all of us?”

“Don’t fuck around. We came here tonight to shut down your game night for good, Padalecki,” Malcolm said, narrowing his eyes at Jared. “You don’t think we came alone. I got two teams of SWAT outside waiting to but some silver in your asses.”

“Fed pig,” Jared said, disgusted. “You have no legal rights to my pack, you’re not a werewolf.”

“I have every damn right to take the pack down. Look around, fucker, who’s got the law on their side? It ain’t you, hot shot.” Malcolm smirked and pulled his radio from behind him. “We’re clear. Move in.”

Jared growled, letting his werewolf come to the surface. He felt his clothes tear off his body, his chest and back expanding in a blink of an eye. He could feel his bones extending, his fingers elongating into deadly claws. He knocked the gun from Malcolm’s hand and jumped him, taking him down to the ground.

“Jared!”

Jared roared so loud that Malcolm winced, trying to put his hands over his ears. Jared felt his anger vibrating through his entire body, dark fur covering him like a shield as he opened his deadly mouth, sharp teeth ready to tear Malcolm’s throat.

“Jared! No! Jared!”

Someone was trying to pull him away. Jared swept the man away from him with one powerful push. He felt others punching at him and Jared growled, feeling the punch, but not the pain.

Pack first. Kill the threat. Take his blood. Protect the pack.

“Jay! Let him go, man!”

Jared heard the click of a gun cocking and he pulled back, growling deep in his throat. The muzzle of the gun pressed against his temple. He sat back slightly, eyeing Malcolm’s pale skin, the row of scratches on his neck.

“Change back or you’ll get a fucking bullet in your head.”

Jared took a breath and then sneered. He pushed his wolf back inside of him and he glared down at Malcolm, returning to his human form. “Pig.”

“Stand the fuck up and back off.”

Jared looked around to see the Dallas SWAT team standing around him, all of them pointing their weapons at him. He released Malcolm and stood slowly.

Malcolm scrambled off the ground, his hand gingerly touching his neck and looking at the blood smeared on his fingers.

“Attacking an agent is a federal offense, Padalecki. You would’ve gotten probation from your liberal Were Council, but now you broke human laws and that means you’re going to spend a few years caged…where an animal like you fucking should be,” Malcolm hissed at him.

Jared felt a sharp pain on the side of his head. He blinked and fell to his knees, falling to the cold ground.

***

Federal Bureau of Investigations  
One Justice Way  
Downtown Dallas

Jared was dressed in the remnants of his torn clothes, sitting quietly in the small interview room, his wrists and ankles bound with silver chains. He kept the grimace of pain from his face, the silver like a cold fire metal burn on his skin. The side of his head ached from where someone slammed the butt of their gun against his skull. He could smell his own blood dripping down the back of his ear. He sat unmoving, staring at his reflection in the mirrored window facing him. He gave the people on the other side a slow grin, his eyes glowing amber. He could scent the three humans and the two werewolves standing behind the mirror, watching him. He tracked two humans as they left the other room and opened the door. He smirked at them, but then turned his face to stare at the mirror.

“You’ve been read your Miranda—“

“I’m waiting for my lawyer.” He said, softly. He knew that if he didn’t say anything, he wouldn’t incriminate himself further. Contrary to popular belief, Jared did know how to keep his mouth shut.

“Jared, you’re looking at serious time here – fifteen years minimum. I heard that Dallas County is a swell place. You know what they do to pretty werewolves who get locked up there? They wear a silver choke collar; it’s supposed to keep you from wolfing out and going all ‘grrr’ on everyone. Keep that animal in check, right? Lots of guys in Dallas County would just love to take you as their bitch, make you howl at the moon. You can look forward to lots of company in the shower.” Jared kept his face neutral. Malcolm took a deep breath, his voice friendly. “If you just work with us, give us information on your network of bookies and underground games, all the players, we can work out a deal so you only spend a year in jail, commute the rest of your sentence. This is your first human legal offense. Don’t be stupid. You could walk out of County after four months, good behavior, keep your wolfie under control.”

Jared turned his eyes and looked up at Malcolm and then at Danny Boy. “What’re your real names?”

“Special Agent Marty Papazian. This is Special Agent David Mattey.”

Jared nodded, but didn’t say anything more.

“Look, we’ve known each other for a long time—“

“Not well enough apparently,” Jared said, raising his eyebrow. “Fool me once, shame on me.”

“It’s not personal,” David said, his soft voice a contrast to his size and bulk. Jared thought that he looked strange wearing a suit when he had always seen him in flannel shirts and jeans, looking more like a homeless man than a fed. “We want to help you.”

Jared snorted and rolled his eyes, but kept his silence.

The door opened and a petite blonde haired woman with sharp eyes and an expensive suit stepped inside. She glared at the two feds. “I’m Alona Tal and I’m Mr. Padalecki’s legal counsel. I assume that he’s been read his Miranda?”

“Yes—“

“He’s been injured, I can scent his blood,” Alona remarked, then glared at Marty and David. “You can be sure that I’ll report that to your superiors.”

Marty and David glanced at each other, and then looked at Alona in disbelief.

“Uncuff him and then you are both excused. Thank you.”

Marty reached down and unlocked the cuffs on his wrists and ankles, taking the chains with him. Jared rubbed the ache of the silver away on his skin, eyeing them carefully.

She pushed the door open and watched as the two men slunk out of the interview room. Alona shut the door and then knocked on the mirror with her knuckles. “This is a private meeting with my client.”

Jared smirked. “They’re gone.”

He gave her a long look. She looked like she was 12-years old, but he knew her reputation. They called her “The Piranha” because she wasn’t afraid to take a legal bite out of anyone. He was glad to have her in his corner. She placed the slim briefcase on the table and stared at him.

“You are in one hell of a bind, Jared. Do you even realize the charges against you? You attacked a FBI agent in full view of other undercover agents, Dallas SWAT, and forty werewolves. Do you think I’m fucking Harry Potter? That I can wave a wand and magically make those charges disappear?”

Jared grinned at her. “Well, you kind of look like Luna Lovegood but you’re probably as sharp as Hermione Granger.”

Alona blinked, frowning. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Nevermind,” Jared said and cleared his throat. “So where are we at?”

“I spoke with the District Attorney. He’s being a hard ass because it’s a fucking election year and he’s up for another term,” Alona said, running her fingers through her long blonde hair. “They want jail time for you and the other werewolves – but you especially, they’re gunning for you. You’ve gotten too many slaps on the wrist by the Were Council and they’re looking to set an example with the Dallas pack.”

“Fuck it, I’m not going to jail. I’d rather be dead than put in a cage.”

Alona sighed, shaking her head. “That’s the exact kind of reckless behavior that’s going to put you right into a cage for the rest of your life! Now shut up and listen to me. This is how it’s going to go down. I used every favor I ever had to make this work. I’ve never let any one of my clients ever go to jail and you’re not going to ruin my streak. There’s going to be a bail hearing. They’re going to set the sum so high that even you won’t be able to pay it—“

“I can always pay it.”

Alona banged her fist on the metal table. “I said shut up.” She glared at him, her amber eyes glowing. “You arrogant pup. It’s you and the other pups like you who give the rest of us a bad name—“

“I don’t need a mother, Alona—“

“—you ungrateful bastard,” she hissed at him, leaning towards him and growling softly. “You have no idea what we’ve had to do to protect you and the other weres caught in this fucking trap. Do you even care? Do you even have a single thought in your head that isn’t all about you? If you were mine…if I were your Alpha, I would kick your ass from here to the fucking moon and back and that still wouldn’t be enough, would it!”

Jared was insulted. He glared up at her, lips twitching. “I’m not yours. I don’t belong to anyone. No one rules me.”

“Well, maybe that ought to change.” She muttered, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, calming herself. “Your bail hearing is in thirty minutes. Get cleaned up. Jeffrey Dean is outside with a clean suit. At the very least, you can appear in front of the judge and look respectable, even if you don’t have a clue as to what it means.”

***

District Courthouse #19  
Downtown Dallas

Jared walked into the night court behind Alona, looking around at the dozens of werewolves, sitting quietly beside their lawyers. He looked through the crowd to see Chad, pale and anxious, nodding to Jared as he listened to his lawyer whispering in his ear. Jared gave him a reassuring smile, but Chad frowned and looked away. Jared knew that it was a first offense for Chad, and that he’d make out okay. Chad would get a slap on the wrist, maybe a hefty fine, and probation. Even if the DA wanted to be tough on werewolf crime, a stand up guy like Chad with his clean record and good standing in the community wouldn’t be hit too hard. Jared was relieved for his friend; he never wanted Chad to get caught up in this mess, just have a little fun.

Alona grabbed his arm and pulled him down to sit down on the bench seat. Jared was about to grumble at her when he caught a familiar scent in the air – and he wasn’t the only one who caught it. There was a shift and everyone turned around to look at the back of the courtroom to see Jensen step inside. Jared blinked and then stifled a groan.

He could feel the wave of Jensen’s anger hit him, but instead of making him submit, it made him hard, lust running through his veins. Alona smacked the back of his head.

“Cool it with the pheromones,” she hissed in his ear. Jared bit back his lust and took a deep breath, trying not to show his delight in Jensen’s heady scent.

The werewolves stood reverently as Jensen walked slowly down the aisle, looking at every werewolf in the eye. Behind him, Chris Pine carried a briefcase that was nearly bulging at the seams. Jared swallowed thickly as Jensen walked towards him, pausing just for a brief moment to glare at Jared, eyes glowing as he looked Jared over.

Jared didn’t bow his head, but he dropped his eyes to stare at Jensen’s lips. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what happened at Moonlight Lounge. He spent his nights jerking off to the memory of Jensen against him, the things he said, the intensity of him in the men’s room, the way that Jensen just unleashed something within him. It was powerful and Jared was thoroughly addicted.

Jensen looked away and moved to the front of the judge’s stand. “Your Honor, if I may?”

“Come forward.”

“My name is Jensen Ackles, I’m Alpha of Dallas pack. These before you tonight are members of my pack. I take full responsibility of them and I formally request a change of venue from your court to the Were Council,” Jensen said, his voice clear and strong. It wasn’t arrogant, but he wasn’t really “asking” for permission either. Jared knew it was a courtesy; he was sure that the judge did not.

The judge looked at him. “I’m well aware of your status in the city, Dr Ackles.” She paused and looked at the people in her courtroom. “Have you the proper documents from the District Attorney?”

“I do,” Jensen said, turning to look at Chris, who stepped forward, giving the judge a polite nod.

Chris opened his briefcase and pulled out several thick legal documents, handing them to her bailiff who took them to the judge. “Your Honor, I’m Dr. Ackles’s assistant, Christopher Pine. I have the documents signed by the District Attorney and the Governor for the official request for immediate change of venue to the Were Council.”

There was a soft, excited murmur throughout the courtroom. Jared sat up straight and looked at Alona. He leaned towards her. “How did Jensen do it?”

“He’s the Alpha, you asswipe, now shut up and pay attention.”

The judge sighed, but nodded. “I accept the request and I officially approve the change of venue. Dr. Ackles, look at the members of your pack. It has come to my attention that this is not the first infraction for many of the pack members.”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

Jared swallowed his snarl, eyes narrowing at the condescension.

“It would behoove you to take better charge of your pack mates.”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

Jared was pissed that Jensen was being patronized by the human.

“Your reputation as Alpha speaks volumes of your integrity and honor, Dr. Ackles. I know these are things that you do not take lightly,” she said, softly. “However, I would like to remind you that under your Grandfather’s rule, not a single Dallas pack member ever stepped into a human courtroom.”

Jared saw Jensen tense, but when he spoke, his voice was calm. “Yes, Your Honor.”

“I hereby remand custody of your werewolves to the Were Council. Dismissed.” She said and then slammed her gavel lightly, standing up to leave the courtroom.

Chris placed his hand on Jensen’s shoulder, whispering something to his ear. Jensen nodded. Chris picked up his briefcase and headed out of the courtroom quickly, leaving Jensen to glare at all the werewolves in the courtroom.

“I expect to see all of you in front of the Were Council in exactly ten minutes,” Jensen said, low. “Room 3221.”

“Yes, Alpha,” everyone intoned respectfully.

Jensen nodded and then stalked past them, ignoring the few calls of “thank you, Alpha”.

Jared clenched his jaw. He hated to see any werewolf kowtow like that to a human – he hated to see Jensen have to do that in front of the judge. She had no right to talk to Jensen or any of the werewolves like that. They were nothing compared to werewolves.

“Quit scowling. Come on, get going,” Alona said, poking him on the shoulder and pushing him into the aisle. “Less than ten minutes. You don’t want to be late.”

***

Were Council  
Courthouse

“I’d rather take 20 lashes of the whip than have to listen to this bullshit,” Jared grumbled, following Alona to the council room.

Alona stopped and turned; her hand on Jared’s chest, slamming him into the wall. “You stupid fuck. Jared, can you comprehend what just happened in there? Jensen saved your collective asses. Apparently, you’re too stupid to recognize that. You better not say anything stupid like that in front of the Elders. They’re not going to take too kindly to your ignorance right now.”

“You know, I’m getting tired of you pushing me around. I may be young, but I’m not your Beta, so leave the fuck off, Alona,” Jared hissed at her, slipping her hand from him.

“Listen to me, Jared, because I’m only going to tell you one time. Our Alpha got fucked by the DA and the Governor because of what you did. He probably used the last of his political capital to keep you guys from having to go to jail. He probably has to do everything that he can to make sure that those two fuckers get re-elected. And he’s had to sacrifice some of his power in this city to protect you asshats. The very least you can do is bow your fucking head when he walks past,” she said, growling in the back of her throat.

Jared glared at her, smelling her rich woodsy scent. She was beautiful in her anger, like moss and moonlight. And despite the fact that she got under his skin and pissed him the hell off like no other, he admired her and respected her. She was a werewolf in her prime, a female Alpha – part mother, part quartermaster – and Jared found her intriguing.

“We’re going to be late. Get your head together, Jared.” She said, tossing her hair and walking away, the click of her heels loud in the hallway.

Jared couldn’t help the grin as he followed her. Alpha females…God love them.

He stepped into the council room and found all the Elders sitting at the front of the room, the other werewolves and their lawyers sitting on the bench seats. Jared saw Alona sitting near the front and he sat beside her. He looked up to see Jensen sitting in the center, hands clasped on top of the table, head bowed and eyes closed. Chris moved forward and whispered in Jensen’s ear. Jared narrowed his eyes at Chris. He knew Pine’s reputation in the pack. He was a strong werewolf and he was in a committed relationship with another werewolf named Quinto who owned a spa or a back clinic in the city. He didn’t like the fact that Pine was always so close to Jensen, always touching him, leaning in to whisper in his ear.

The room quieted immediately when Jensen raised his head, looking out at them. His eyes were dark green and glowing underneath. Jared could tell that Jensen was close to letting his werewolf out, that beneath the veneer of civility and fancy clothes, Jensen was an animal. Jared didn’t know why he didn’t give his nature a bit of freedom. The Alpha was so tightly wound; he could probably shit a diamond.

He watched as Jensen stood. The Alpha just stared at the back of the wall. He was calmer, the anger pushed to the edges so that he could be their leader. Jared sat back and watched.

“I’m not going to tell you that I’m angry and disappointed in your behavior. You all know how I feel. The Elders and I have instituted new werewolf policy. If you are caught at any future underground werewolf fights, you are permanently exiled from Dallas pack for your lifetime—“

There was an uproar as werewolves stood, protesting loudly.

“—and if you are caught in pack territory, you will suffer the ultimate consequence. You’ll be branded as Omegas and stripped of everything. No pack assistance; worse than death.” Jensen said, his voice hard and unmoving. “I’ve been too lenient with the pack. I take that responsibility and blame. I’ve let the rest of the pack suffer from my weakness and fear of becoming my Grandfather and creating a second bloody rule. You have to face the consequences of your actions. For those of you who are here because this is your first offense, you will pay a fine of 50% of your personal assets to the city in restitution, and you will give 365 days of community service. Your legal counsel will have all of the documents for you.”

Jared looked around the courtroom and saw Chad press his hands over his face, nodding as his lawyer whispered in his ear. He wondered if he could help and give Chad some money, just to help him out.

“You are dismissed. I want the following pack members to stay in chambers as we deal with your punishments privately,” Jensen said, picking up the sheet of paper from the table. “Andrew St. John, Calvin Goldspink, Atandwa Kani, Jim Parsons, Jared Padalecki, and Luke Grimes. You will stay, the rest of you, get out of my sight.”

Jared sat quietly, wondering what the Council had planned for him. If anything, he and two of the others were the repeat offenders. He caught Chad’s eye. “Talk to Jeffrey Dean, he’ll take care of you.” Chad stared at him for a moment, but shook his head.

“Jared,” Alona said, her voice low and warning.

Jared sighed, sitting back down on the bench, waiting for everyone to leave the council room. He looked at the five other werewolves and their lawyers. All of them looked like they were going to get their heads chopped off, but Jared knew that the Elders wouldn’t go back to corporal punishment techniques. Jensen was being a hard ass, but he would never go back to shedding werewolf blood. This much Jared knew and understood about the Alpha.

Jensen sat down, pressing his fingers against his eyes. “Elder Ferris, would you begin the proceedings for the remaining pack members?”

Samantha stood up and looked them over. “Gentlemen, our Alpha and the Elders have discussed your position in the pack. You six are the only ones who have time and time again broken werewolf law without regard to the consequences. For once, we are all in agreement. You will each serve a time of six months with one of the Elders. You will serve as Betas in the household—“

“I am not a Beta!” Luke shouted, getting to his feet.

“Sit down,” Jensen said, his voice cutting through the room. “This is not for debate. The decision was made and it will be held. You will serve for 180 days or you will face exile. It’s your choice. That’s the only choice.”

“You will serve a time of six months. During this time, you are under house arrest. You cannot leave the household without your Alpha’s consent. You will not be allowed to work or attend school. You will be monitored at all times. You will serve in whatever capacity that the Alpha of your household demands, within reason to your physical safety and sanity.” Samantha took a deep breath. “The Elders drew straws and selected one of you. Let me say that this is as much a punishment for us as it is for you. None of us are delighted to have you as part of our household.”

Jared clenched his hands in fists, jaw tense, eyes literally bulging from his face as he glared at them. This was impossible; he was no fucking Beta. He wasn’t going to give up everything that he worked so hard for to become someone’s fucking slave. He wasn’t going to bow down and serve anyone. He growled in the back of his throat, ignoring Alona as she elbowed him sharply.

“Andrew St. John, you are assigned to Elder Justin Hartley.”

Jared turned to see Andrew bow his head, accepting his punishment. Fucking weak, Jared though.

“Calvin Goldspink, you are assigned to Elder James Roday.”

Jared watched as Calvin struggled to refuse, but his lawyer grabbed his arm and spoke urgently in his ear. Calvin let out a soft gasp but nodded. A fighter, but he gave up too soon.

“Atandwa Kani, you are assigned to me.”

Jared saw the handsome African-American werewolf grin widely up at Elder Ferris. Jared raised his eyebrow and wondered how Atandwa would “serve” in Ferris’s household.

“Jim Parsons, you are signed to Elder Peter Facinelli.”

Jared watched as Jim pressed his hand over his mouth, shaking visibly. Elder Facinelli leaned forward, looking at Jim.

“You need not worry. We are not going to abuse you,” Elder Facinelli said, softly.

“Jared Padalecki, you are assigned to—“

“To me.”

Jared swallowed, flicking his eyes to Jensen. Alona dug her nails into Jared’s arm, keeping him still, keeping him silent. It was fine. Jared would have more than enough time to tell Jensen to fuck himself.

Elder Ferris was surprised. She turned to look at Jensen, but Jensen nodded to her and she bowed her head. “It is your decision, Alpha.”

Jared stared as Jensen glared at him for a moment before turning away, ignoring him. Beta to Jensen? He wasn’t about to kneel down to anyone, not even to the pack Alpha.

“Luke Grimes, you as assigned to Elder Julie Benz.”

Luke growled and Elder Benz stood up, cutting him off. “You will not speak another word in front of this Council or I will exile you right now.”

Jared watched as Luke fell back on the bench, glaring at the floor, ignoring his lawyer’s pleas. A part of Jared wondered if exile might not be better than to be someone’s slave. Even an exiled werewolf could make a new home for himself. Jared had the skills, he could start from scratch, because that’s what they would have to do. An exiled werewolf left with whatever was on his back. Jared started with nothing and he could again.

“These decisions are final. It is as Alpha said – if you do not agree, there is no further appeal. You will either face the consequences of your actions or you will face exile. We will have werewolves take you to the borders of our city and you will not be welcomed to Dallas pack for your lifetime. If you return, you will be branded to the lowest status among our kind. If you think being a Beta in our household is bad, imagine what your life will be like as Omega in the pack.”

Jared swallowed down his fear, letting his anger simmer. He knew what happened to Omegas, knew how the pack treated them. They were sub-par werewolves, less than humans, less than animals.

“You’ve made a mockery of our pack. You’ve shown me the greatest disrespect. This is your last chance,” Jensen said, shaking his head. “I am not my Grandfather, but I’m not afraid of exiling you from your home.”

Jared leaned back in the seat, his heart beating so hard that he was sure everyone in the room could hear it.

“It could’ve been a lot worse,” Alona murmured to him.

Jared snorted, shaking his head. “How?”

“He had every right to brand you all Omegas. The Elders voted on it unanimously, but Jensen offered them an alternative.”

Jared closed his eyes and nodded.

“Thank you, Elder Ferris,” Jensen said, standing. “You are all dismissed. You will speak to your Alpha to coordinate your move into their household now. You have 24 hours to get your personal business in order. If you fail to present yourselves to your Alpha, you will face immediate exile.”

Jared took a deep breath. “This is the worst fucking day of my life.”

“Come on, you should check in with Jensen. And I’ll help get your personal business in order,” Alona said, taking his arm gently and pushing him to his feet.

Jared stood and walked towards Jensen, watching him as the Alpha straightened his papers, speaking quietly to Chris. Pine looked up at them and offered Jared a small grin as he walked towards them.

“Excuse me,” Chris said, slinking away.

Jared stood in front of Jensen.

“I expect you to present yourself at my residence by 5 o’clock tonight.”

“I thought I had 24 hours,” Jared said, raising his eyebrow.

“You will present yourself at my residence by 5 o’clock tonight. Not one second late, Jared.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Jared said, sneering at him.

***

The Glass House  
Jensen’s Residence

Jared paid the taxi driver and dragged his duffel bag out of the trunk, walking to the front door of the glass house. He peered into the house and saw Jensen sitting on a couch, reading a thick sheaf of papers. Jared rolled his eyes, wondering what the hell he was going to do for the next six months. Jensen was a science geek. He was fucking gorgeous and Jared thought maybe he’d get to have sex with Jensen, but aside from that, they had nothing in common. Who the fuck lived in a glass house anyway?

He rang the doorbell, the soft chime tinkling throughout the house. Jensen placed the papers on the coffee table and stood up. He walked slowly towards the door and opened it, looking at Jared.

“I’m presenting myself,” Jared said, trying to keep his voice neutral.

“Come in.” Jensen said, opening the door further. “Place your bag on the floor. I will show you your room later.”

“Ohhh? My own room, huh? You mean, we’re not going to share?” Jared said, smirking. “I mean, that’s why I’m here, right?”

“No.” Jensen said, shutting the door and locking it. “I don’t find you attractive, Jared, so you might as well stop trying to play the seductive pup. It’s not going to work on me.”

“Seemed to work on you just fine in the men’s room.”

Jensen placed his hands on his waist, tilting his chin up. “I see that you didn’t understand my intentions.”

“I understood your intentions just fine, Jensen. I was kind of disappointed that you didn’t really go through with your intentions – we have a bit of unfinished business between us.” Jared gave him a pretty smile, showing his dimples. “Well, I guess that’s why you got me here, huh?” Jared looked around the interior of the house – everything was white, glass and polished steel. “How can you stand it? This house is a fishbowl. Aren’t you afraid of someone peeking inside?”

“I have nothing to hide from my pack,” Jensen murmured, standing in the middle of the living room. He crossed his arms over his chest and gazed at Jared for a long moment. “Shall I tell you about your duties in my household?”

“Yeah, sure. So what I am supposed to do for the next six months? Do your dishes? Your laundry? Wash the windows?” Jared said, snickering. He turned and looked at Jensen when he didn’t say anything. The Alpha stood still, his head cocked slightly to the side. His face was neutral, but his eyes glittered.

“Take off your clothes and get on your knees.”

Jared gave him a slow grin, standing at his full height. He leered at Jensen and let out a soft, knowing laugh. “Sure, Alpha, whatever you want.”

Jensen watched as Jared slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt, pulling the wrinkled tails from the waist of his slacks. He reached for his cuffs, taking the cuff links out and putting them in his pants pockets.

“Do you want a show?”

“Just do as you’re told.” Jensen told him patiently as he examined Jared with a clinical gaze.

Jared was just a few inches taller than him, broader at the shoulders, well defined and muscled. He pushed the shirt off his shoulders, dropping the expensive cotton on the floor. Jensen would have to teach him to place his belongings in a neat and orderly way later; he really didn’t like any kind of disorganization. Jensen noted that his chest was wide and every part of his unveiled body showed his pride in himself. Of course Jensen knew that Jared was a proud werewolf. Pride had its advantages and strengths. But there was vanity, too, and vanity was the werecub’s greatest Achilles Heel. Jensen watched as he toed out of his loafers, bending over to pull off his argyle socks. Jared kept his eyes on Jensen the whole time, a warm blush moving over his skin. So he wasn’t just proud and vain, he was…uneasy.

Good. Jensen needed Jared to be vulnerable and accessible.

“I like it when you look at me, when I have your undivided attention,” Jared drawled, his hands moving to his belt, pulling the leather through the belt loops and dropping it on the floor.

“You might regret having my undivided attention, Jared.” Jensen said, thoughtfully. He wondered how much of Jared’s arrogance was based on bravado.

“I’m not afraid of you,” he said, scoffing.

Jensen frowned slightly. “There’s no reason why you should be.”

Jared smirked at him, unbuttoning the top of his slacks and pulling down the zipper. Jensen watched as Jared touched himself, large palm sliding down over his groin. Jensen could see the thick line of his cock under the cotton shorts. He dropped his slacks to the floor and stepped out of them.

“You like what you see?”

Jensen raised his eyebrow. “You’re a beautiful man, Jared.” He watched as Jared preened at the compliment and rolled his eyes. “I didn’t think you were the type of man who needed constant reassurance of your looks.”

“I don’t. I know I’m fucking gorgeous.” Jared said, chuckling. “I came in my pants after you left me high and dry in the men’s room at the club.”

“You really don’t have any self-control, do you?”

“I think you’re in denial,” he murmured, raising his eyebrow. Jensen watched as Jared hooked his thumbs under the elastic of his shorts, slipping the front slowly down over the head, eyes fluttering as he gripped the fabric, pulling it down over his cock, teasing himself like an expensive whore, and then letting the shorts fall to the floor. And while Jensen appreciated the show, he wasn’t interested in the games.

“Kneel.”

“Whatever you want, Alpha.” Jared said, his tone dirty and throaty.

Jensen watched him drop gracefully to his knees, hands loose at his side, and shoulders flung back. He was beautiful; there was no doubt of it. And Jensen was honest with himself, he wasn’t unaffected by Jared. He remembered what he felt at Moonlight Club; how it drove him to find sexual solace with Tom and Mike. But that didn’t mean that he was going to offer Jared a repeat of that.

He admired the sheer confidence in the cub. He moved his eyes slowly down the length of Jared’s body, letting Jared see him enjoying the sight of Jared naked and on his knees. Jensen swept his eyes to the jut of Jared’s hips, the neatly trimmed patch of dark hair at his groin, to the cock that was hardening, the balls heavy between his thighs. Jared was all blatant sex and desire, primed for pleasure.

But beauty and sex wasn’t enough to hold Jensen’s attention beyond want.

“Stay there,” Jensen said, walking towards the glass bookshelf behind him. He opened the black box and picked up the chain. He turned and walked towards Jared, letting him see the delicate collar in his hands. He watched as Jared’s smirk faded, cat eyes narrowing as he stared at the collar; and for the first time, Jensen saw his fear underneath his anger, doubt, and lust.

“This is your choice, Jared. You can choose to wear the collar for the next six months. It’s made of silver and platinum. The silver won’t hurt you, but it will keep you from tapping into your werewolf instincts. If you choose to wear this collar, you choose to submit to me,” Jensen told him, looking carefully at Jared’s expressive eyes.

“And if I don’t want to wear it?” Jared said, his voice a low growl.

“Then you’ll get dressed and you’ll be escorted to the city limits.”

“You’ll exile me because I don’t want to be your slave?” He said, snarling up at Jensen. “Yeah, that’s fair. I’d rather have the whip, Alpha. At least I know that’s a real choice.”

“These are the choices you have.”

“Then it’s not a choice at all, right?”

Jensen gave him a small smile. “Jared, everything you do here for the next six months will be about your choices. I only give you the opportunity to choose. The consequences of your choices are borne of your will, not mine.”

He watched as Jared’s shoulders bunched up, his cock softening between his legs. Jared’s hands were clenched into fists, pressing into the sides of his thighs.

“I’m not going to be your slave, Jensen.”

Jensen took a deep breath and gazed down at him. “I don’t want a slave, Jared. This collar doesn’t make you my slave; it shows that you are my submissive. At the end of six months, you’ll have the opportunity to take off the collar and that will be your choice, too.”

“You’re a fucking bastard.”

“I’m going to ignore your insult and I’m not going to reprimand you this time for your mistake because you’re not aware that you are making a mistake,” Jensen said, softly. He cocked his head and looked at him. “Do you even know what a Beta is?”

“Second class citizen,” Jared hissed at him.

Jensen frowned, biting his lip. How did Jared get it so wrong? “Jared. My God, Jared…I don’t know a single Beta who is anything remotely like a second class citizen. How in the world did you come up with that?”

Jared dropped his eyes and glared past Jensen, eyes pinned to the wall. “Everyone knows that.”

Jensen moved to crouch in front of him, reaching up with his fingers to gently tip Jared’s chin, angry hazel eyes meeting his. “I promise you that I will not abuse you while you’re in my custody. You’re not my slave; you always have the choice to say no to my requests—“

“Yeah and then you’ll punish me for it, won’t you?” Jared said, tightly, jerking his chin away and then staring at him. “You’ve just been itching to get me here and beat the crap out of me.”

“I have never abused anyone in my care,” Jensen told him, tamping down his anger. “You offend me when you say those things.”

“Yay. More reasons for you to punish me.” Jared sneered at him and then looked away, the rosy flush darkening on his cheeks, neck, and chest. “Then what the hell am I doing here?”

“You’re here because you’ve been running wild and you need to be reined in. You’re here because I’d rather have you choose the collar and learn control than to exile you away from your home.” Jensen said and rubbed his eyes with his hand, the chain clenched in his other fist. “God, Jared, I had no idea that you were so unfamiliar with...is this why you’re so rebellious, because you really don’t know—“

“I know what I need to know. I’m not a fucking kid. I’m a full fledged member of this pack—“

“Then act like a full fledged member of this pack,” Jensen said, his voice hard and unflinching. “Do you think that being a full fledged member of the pack entitles you to completely disregard the rules of the pack and act so contemptibly with werewolves that you think are below you? I know what you and your friends think of me – that I’m weak because I won’t segregate the pack from human society; that I won’t use my position as pack Alpha to make it easier for werewolves to devolve into their animal natures. What kind of Alpha would I be if I allowed this to happen? How can I possibly make you see that you have the potential to be a strong member of our pack; that you have a place with us that is as equal as my place here? You spit in my face every time you break werewolf law. You show me disrespect when you ignore my boundaries. You weaken all of us when you and your friends use your werewolf natures in the most brutish of ways to profit from it. What should I do, Jared? Tell me. I’m at a loss as how I can make you see that you’re not just jeopardizing your place in the pack, but that you’re jeopardizing the pack in society.”

“In human society.”

“Segregation is not the answer. We are human. Many of us are predisposed to having werewolf genetics.” He said, firmly. “But we’re not any better than those who are not werewolves, Jared.”

He could scent Jared’s frustration simmering under the cool façade; the way that his eyes glittered as he looked at Jensen. His lips were pressed together, drawn into a thin, angry line. Jensen wanted to soothe the anger away, but he knew that he hadn’t earned that right yet. It was like when Jensen first became Alpha. He had inherited the position and over time he had earned his place as head of the pack. He had fought and won to stay Alpha; and he knew that he would have to fight again in the future as others would try to step into his position. Now, he would have to step up again for Jared; that he earned Jared’s respect as Alpha. Jensen knew that it was his duty to earn the pack’s love and respect. Being of his Grandfather’s bloodline was only part of it, just the first step into pack authority; there because of legacy and birth right. But if Jensen wanted to continue to lead and rule, he’d have to prove his worth every moment of his life.

“I can see that we’ll have many nights to debate this topic in the next six months,” Jensen said, wryly. Actually, he was glad to listen to and be challenged by Jared’s views. And he hoped that by the end of Jared’s six month confinement that he’d leave Jensen’s household with a strong sense of control and a better understanding of what it meant to be a werewolf.

“Fine, I’ll wear the collar.”

Jensen rubbed his face and looked at the chain in his hand. “I won’t force it on you. It wouldn’t be consensual.”

“I’m consenting, damn it. You’re not going to exile me from here because you’re too chicken shit to give it to me after your pretty little speech,” Jared said, bitingly.

Jensen flicked his eyes and glared at Jared. “Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t have earned the right to wear my collar.” He stood and stared down at Jared. He held out the collar, raising his eyebrow. “Do you accept this collar as my Beta?”

“Fine.”

“I want to see you put it on.”

Jared clenched his jaw and reached out, snatching the chain from his hands. Jensen watched as he worked the small clasp and reached behind his neck, locking the collar on. He lifted his face and looked at Jensen. “Satisfied?”

Jensen gave him a small smile and shook his head. “No, not really. But you’ve made your choice.”

He wasn’t sure if this was a good decision on his part; Jensen wasn’t often wrong, but he hadn’t realized that Jared’s fundamental education of werewolf society was so…skewed and lacking. A part of him wanted to offer Jared an alternative, but he also knew that Jared needed this. He needed proper guidance; he needed someone to tell him ‘no’ and expect it to hold weight.

“Great. Do you want to fuck me now or do you want a blowjob first?”

Jensen stepped away from him and slid his hands into his pockets. “I want you to listen to me carefully, Jared. During the six months that you are here, we will not have sexual contact of any kind. I’m not going to fuck you. I’m not going to touch you sexually. I’m not going to make any overtures and I expect you to control your urges around me. I won’t take advantage of your position in my household. Any infraction of this rule on your part and I will punish you.”

“Does that mean that I get to punish you if you break your own rules?”

Jensen sighed. “I think I have better control over my sexual impulses than—“

“Well, what if you go off on me like you did at the club—“

“No, Jared, you don’t get to punish me. I’m your household Alpha and I’m your pack Alpha,” Jensen said, growling softly at him. “You’ll keep your dick in your pants and that’s the end of it.”

“So I can’t even jerk off?” He said, snarling at him.

“You can jerk off…but only in front of me. And you will ask me for permission.”

“Why do I have to ask you for permission?”

Jensen sat down on the plush armchair and rested his hands on the arm rests, staring at him for a long time. “You wear my collar as my Beta. It is at my pleasure, Jared, that I offer it to you; but it’s your choice to submit. That becomes a part of your duty to me.”

“Kinky.”

“You have so much to learn, cub. You think that by pushing me, I’ll react to it, but I assure you that I won’t. You don’t know me well enough to push my buttons.”

Jared smirked. “I beg to differ.”

“What did you think happened in the men’s room at Moonlight Lounge?”

“I think you slipped up on your control and you wanted to fuck me like an animal.”

Jensen smiled, nodding slowly. “Yes, you’re right, I don’t deny it. What else?”

“What else was there?”

Jensen could see that Jared was truly confused. He understood that Jared didn’t know what he did that night; how he affected Jensen. He tapped his fingers on the arm rest of the chair. “When you can answer that question, then you’ll have a better understanding of my nature and your own.” He took a deep breath and looked at him. “I want you to make yourself come.”

Jared gave him a cocksure smile. “Or else?”

“There is no ‘or else’,” Jensen said, shrugging. “You will either jerk off right here, in front of me, or I won’t give you permission to touch yourself for two weeks.”

“That’s fucking crazy!”

“Jared, you are going to have to learn to show me a little more respect. I know that we’ll have an adjustment period and I’ll give you a little time to get used to being with me. But even I have my limits. I’m not above putting you over my knee and spanking the hell out of your ass.”

Jensen smirked when he scented Jared’s arousal, raising his eyebrow when Jared’s cock hardened, flexing against his thigh.

“How will you know? Maybe I’ll sneak one in when you go off to work?”

“I’d like to be able to trust you to follow my requests.”

“Requests,” he said, spitting it out like a dirty word. “Orders.”

Jensen sighed, frustrated, but he tamped down his annoyance and focused on why Jared need to challenge him. “Don’t twist everything I say. I told you that you have choices so I make requests. If you need clarity, I could take away your choices and just give you orders to obey. It’s up to you.”

He watched as Jared scowled. He let his eyes slide down Jared’s body, his cock hardening even more and wet at the tip. Jared kept his eyes on Jensen and raised his hand to lick the palm, getting it sloppy wet. Jensen watched as he wrapped that large hand around his cock, gripping the base and then slowly sliding his hand up the shaft to just beneath the head. Jared inhaled deeply and let out a soft moan. His eyelids drooped, a sliver of hazel looking out at him.

“Do you want to watch me get off slow or fast, Jensen?”

Jensen propped his hand against his temple and raised his eyebrow. “I want to watch you make yourself come.”

Jared fisted the head of his cock and rubbed his thumb over it, smoothing the wetness on the rosy flesh. “Aren’t you going to tell me how to do it?”

“Do I need to?”

Jared snorted and then ran the flat of his hand down the shaft, cupping his heavy balls and rolling them against his palm. He made a soft noise at the back of his throat, leaning back slightly and putting his free hand behind him so that he was bent back, presenting Jensen with a perfect arch of his body, hand wrapped around his cock again, stroking up and hard fast. Jared flung back his head and pumped his hips, fucking his hand. He grunted deeply, head falling back, the muscles of his body flexing. Jensen watched as Jared brought himself closer, the wet slap of his hand on his flesh loud in the silence of the room.

“Ah! Jensen. Yeah,” Jared grunted out, twisting his hand under the flared head, short strokes just at the tip now. He let out a panting moan, stretching out the sound as he came, spurting wetness on his hands and on his lower stomach.

The scent hit Jensen in a primal way. He sat on the chair, fighting the allure that came off Jared in thick waves. Jensen understood passion. He understood the lust that felt like fire in the veins. He understood the kind of need that drove him to near madness.

But he didn’t think that Jared understood his own desires. He felt lust and wanted sex to get off, but Jared didn’t know what was in his nature that drove him. Jensen stood up and walked to his book shelf and picked up the box of tissues. He made his way to Jared, enjoying the way his body was wet with a light sheen of sweat, the scent of his pheromones making him dizzy – he smelled like orange marmalade and ginger.

Jared snorted, taking a tissue from the box and wiping himself clean. He quirked his lips as he dropped his eyes to Jensen’s groin. He licked his lips and chuckled. “I can take care of that for you.”

Jensen gave him a small smile, but shook his head. “I don’t need you to service me. I can take care of it on my own.”

“Can I watch, too?”

Jensen walked back to the shelf and placed the tissue box where it was. He shivered from the new scents that came off of Jared. He looked over his shoulder and gazed at Jared. He was still on his knees, flesh glowing rosy with heat. The anger seemed to have be dampened for now but Jensen knew that it was just because Jared was loose with his pleasure.

“I don’t think you’ve deserved the right to see me like that.”

“Huh. So if I’m a good wolfie, maybe we can jerk off in front of each other, is that how this plays out?”

“No.” Jensen dropped his head back and closed his eyes, shaking his head. “God, you really make me want to…get dressed and I’ll take you to your room. Get settled in, unpack, shower, whatever. I’ll make dinner and we can talk about your duties and what I expect from you.”

Jared let out a loud sigh. “Fine. Go jerk off all by yourself, Jensen.” He stood up and looked around at his clothes, picking them up one by one. He bent over, giving Jensen a good look at his round ass.

Jensen hid a small smile and shook his head. Six months. He should’ve just let Jared be assigned to Elder Julie Benz as planned. It was going to be such a bad idea to have him here in his house. Jensen knew that whatever else might happen between them, he was not going to lose control the way that he did at the club. He understood Jared better now. He knew that Jared didn’t know what he was doing. It was his duty as Alpha to the pack to make sure that all of his pack mates were educated werewolves.

Six long goddamned months.

Jared was nearly fully dressed, looking around the house, his curiosity getting the best of him. Jensen watched him look at his books, mostly on robotics and science, a few science fiction novels, his collection of movies, his music. Jensen eyed the collar sitting against his tanned skin. He didn’t deny that a part of him was pleased to see Jared wearing his Beta collar. Of course, at the end of Jared’s incarceration, Jared would take it off and walk out of Jensen’s life. There was nothing that would keep Jared there; and Jensen wasn’t entirely sure that he wanted Jared to stay.

He cleared his throat. “I’m going to put some steaks on the grill. How do you like yours cooked?”

Jared snickered. “Rare and bloody, dude.”

 

Part 6: Jared

Jensen’s Residence  
The Glass House

Jared stared at the stack of books piled high on the dining room table.

“What the fuck—“

“Watch the language, Jared,” Jensen murmured.

“Are you expecting me to read these books?”

Jensen grinned, quirking his eyebrow. “Not just read, but to comprehend and to be ready to discuss.”

“What for? Is this our little Oprah book club or something?”

“I actually enjoy Oprah’s book club selections,” Jensen murmured.

Jared scowled, picking up the thick hardbound book at the top of the pile. “’The Lycan Histories.’” He looked at the next thick book. “’Werewolves in the 21st Century.’ You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I’m not,” Jensen said. He tapped on the piece of paper on the table. “This is the order that I want you to read them.”

Jared snorted, dropping the books on the table. “So what – I’m supposed to write you a book report when I finish?”

“Do you want to—“

“No! Hell no! You won’t even let me have a laptop unsupervised, I’m not writing a book report by hand.”

“I realized that your education about our history is severely lacking, Jared,” Jensen said, walking into the room and towards the stack of books. Jared watched in disbelief as Jensen ran his finger down the spines, pulling out a book that was twice as thick as the others. Fucking Christ. “This is what you should start with first.”

Jared caught the title. “’The Life and Times of Jedadiah Marcus Ackles: The First Alpha, 1500-1620.’ Oh God, just bored me into submission why don’t you.”

“Jedadiah Ackles was the first Alpha of our pack. I think you’ll find it really enlightening. His philosophy of setting up werewolf hierarchy is especially fascinating. It’ll be a good primer for you to learn about the roles that we have in our pack.”

Jared rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “There’s like twenty books there.”

“Twenty-five books. My family library has two thousand volumes. I’ll give you more once you get through these. I don’t expect you to read them all at once. You have six months. You’re not going to waste your time here watching cable and surfing on the Internet. You’re going to learn about your own history—“

“I know enough.”

Jensen tilted up his chin and gazed at him with dark green eyes. “Tell me about the Werewolf Law of 1845.”

Jared scrunched up his face and rolled his eyes, sighing. “Something about the Freedom Acts.”

“Jared—“

“Do you know it?”

Jensen paused for a long moment. Jared smirked, believing that he stumped Jensen.

“Under the sixty-four year rule of Alpha Mitchell Ackles, Werewolf Law of 1845 provisioned that all werewolves were given the freedom to procreate without government intervention or discrimination. Werewolf Law of 1845 was the first of sixteen amendments to what we now call the Werewolf Freedom Acts. What’s the second amendment to the Freedom Acts, Jared?”

Jared sucked on his teeth and made a face. “I don’t know, all right. You satisfied now?”

“No, I’m not satisfied. School kids know the sixteen amendments by heart. What happened to your own education? Why didn’t your parents ensure that you learned your history? Non-werewolves know the Freedom Acts; it’s been part of compulsory education world wide since 1858.”

Jared clenched his hands into fists, glaring at Jensen. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“Yes, you do. You’re accountable to me – every werewolf in my pack is accountable to me. When the Alpha asks you a direct question, you are obligated to answer truthfully and respectfully,” Jensen said, his voice firm and low, nearly a growl. “Now, answer me. Why didn’t your parents ensure that you learned your werewolf history?”

Jared bit his lip and dropped his eyes, looking away from Jensen’s stare. “My parents didn’t raise me as a werewolf, all right? They raised me as a human and told me to lie and never let anyone know that I was a werewolf. I went to a human school in San Antonio and no one ever knew that I was a werewolf until I left and came to Dallas.”

“Jared,” Jensen whispered, shaking his head. He stepped closer towards Jared, his hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Look at me.” He waited for Jared to look into his eyes. “Your parents committed a crime; that is one of the worst crimes in the pack. How did the Alpha of San Antonio pack let something like this go? You’re an unregistered werewolf.”

“I registered when I turned eighteen,” Jared told him, hotly.

“You should’ve been registered when you were born, your blood lineage should’ve been put on record,” Jensen said, his hand tightening on Jared’s arm. Jared flinched at the strength of Jensen’s hold, feeling the hotness of his palm through his shirt sleeve. “I have to report this. I have no other choice but to—“

“No.” Jared shook his head. “You can’t blame my parents for this. They thought that they were doing me a favor, trying to integrate me into human society so that I wouldn’t have to face discrimination. Anyway, it’s in the past.”

He watched as Jensen ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t want anything to happen to his parents. He didn’t tell Jensen how much he resented having to lie about who he was nearly all of his life. And he certainly didn’t want Jensen’s pity. It only made him angry to see that look cross Jensen’s face.

“I’m sorry—“

“Don’t apologize,” Jared said, snorting. “I’m fine. I know who I am.”

“Do you?”

Jared looked away and let out a guff of laughter. “Yes, Alpha, I know who I am.”

“Fine. Then you’ll have no problems learning the histories,” Jensen said, stepping away and walking towards the front doors. Jared watched as he picked up his briefcase. “I expect you to make a dent in that first book. Be ready to talk about what you’ve read; if you have any questions, ask me tonight.”

Jared watched as Jensen opened the door. “So I’m just supposed to sit around and read all day long?”

“If you want to wash the windows, go right ahead,” Jensen said, smirking at him over his shoulder as he left, closing the door softly behind him.

“Asshole,” Jared muttered. He let out a deep breath and ran both of his hands through his hair, grabbing the ends and letting out a loud grunt of frustration. He closed his eyes and dropped his hands, his fingers touching the collar on his neck. He wanted nothing more than to just rip it off, tell Jensen to fuck off, and leave Dallas. He pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes, rubbing them hard enough to see bright white behind his eyelids. “Fuck. Fuck it.”

He stared at the books on the table and gritted his teeth, reaching down to pick up the book and moved to the couch, dropping down on the plush cushion. He settled down for a long day of reading and being bored out of his mind.

“Fucking fuck fuck fuck!” He snarled, rolling his eyes. He wanted to kick something. “’Don’t fucking cuss, Jared. Watch your fucking language, Jared.’ Fuckity fuck fuck!”

***

Later in the day, just as the sun was hovering near the horizon, Jared stood outside and stared out at nothing. The glass house was situated on just a huge flat plot of land, a couple of trees and bushes to give a sense of privacy, but it was just rock and crab grass. He tucked the book under his arm and walked further out, past the detached three-car garage, which was also made of steel and glass. Jared snorted to himself. Was it so important that everyone knew what kind of cars Jensen owned? For god’s sake, he didn’t even own a luxury vehicle. Jensen drove a blue Ford hybrid and parked a white Land Rover and a dark green Honda sedan in the garage – absolutely no sense of adventure. Jared shook his head. He could put Jensen into a gorgeous dark champagne burgundy Bentley convertible for less than $100,000. He wouldn’t even take his commission cut, just to be able to say that he got the Dallas Alpha into one of his Bentleys. That was the kind of you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours business that Jared wouldn’t mind being a part of. He snickered to himself, shaking his head again, knowing that it was probably never going to happen.

But he had to hand it to Jensen – the land was prime Texas real estate. He didn’t know how many acres Jensen owned, but he knew it had to be something substantial. On his first night in the glass house, which Jared found kind of creepy and had a hard time getting to sleep – not to mention the glaring freaking sunlight in the morning that wouldn’t let him sleep in, Jensen explained to Jared that it was his friend, Steve Carlson, who designed the house for him. They talked about how the steel and glass structure represented Jensen’s more open door policy type of leadership. Jared called him an exhibitionist. Funny thing, though, Jensen didn’t deny it.

“Hey.”

Jared turned, slightly mortified that he couldn’t sense Jensen’s presence – damn collar – and raised his hand in greeting. “Hey.”

“Checking out the view?” Jensen called.

Jared nodded as he walked back towards the house. “Yeah, man, it’s gorgeous. I mean, why haven’t you done more with it?”

“What do you mean?”

“The landscaping. It’s just all crab grass. You ever actually spend any time outside your own house, dude?”

Jensen grinned. “Not as such, no. I’m more of a lab geek.”

Jared nodded, taking the book from under his arm. “I’m about half way through.”

“Tell me what you think so far.”

Jared shrugged. “Ackles was kind of a dick, at first, until he figured out that he wasn’t just Alpha to be the boss.”

“I thought so, too,” Jensen said, nodding slowly. “I can’t even imagine what the political climate was like for those first werewolves who were courageous enough to step forward to let the world know that they were werewolves.”

“A lot of humans killed a lot of weres.”

“Don’t forget that werewolves are territorial and we killed each other, too – if not more.” Jensen sighed. “It’s in our nature and in our history to kill what we don’t know or understand. Human history showed us that.”

Jared sighed, turning to look at the land before they lost the sunlight. “You really should do something out here, Jensen. Don’t let it go to waste like this. You could make it really beautiful.”

“You know something about gardening?”

“Gardening? Do I look like Martha Stewart to you?” Jared snorted, looking at Jensen. “It’s formally known as landscape architecture.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, I know something about landscaping. I used to summer at this landscaping firm back in San Antone when I was in high school. My parents always told me to be careful not to show my strength. But I was good at it. I liked being outside and working with my hands. If I had this much land, I’d…”

“You can have it,” Jensen said, smiling at him. “I mean, you can start whatever kind of project you want. I don’t have any particularly strong feelings about it, but I did think that it needed something.”

Jared scratched his chin and eyed Jensen. “Yeah?”

“Sure.”

“I’d need a lot of supplies and I’d have to go—“

“You can order everything you need online these days. They even deliver right to your house,” Jensen said, smirking. “You do understand what it means to be under house arrest, right?”

“Wow…you’re going to actually let me use your laptop and get online? Does it have a parental lock?”

“Well, I’ll be in the room so you’ll be properly supervised.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “There goes my chance to surf porn. I heard ‘Busty Asian Beauties’ just launched their website.”

Jensen laughed softly and turned to walk towards the house. “Don’t forget to do your readings. I’d like that to be your priority.” Jared snorted, rolling his eyes, but nodded. “Come in when you want; I’ll get dinner started and we can talk about your reading.”

***

Jared sketched out a few quick drawings and then got on the Home Depot website, writing down a list of things that he’d need, based on measurements of the Japanese garden that he wanted to create. He thought that it fit nicely with the glass house; and he considered Jensen’s anal retentive personality for things being neat and orderly. While he would’ve liked to have visited some of the more commercial landscaping wholesalers to make deals and to actually see all the products, he knew that it was this or nothing else.

“How about a gazebo?”

Jensen chuckled softly. “What kind of garden is this going to be, man?”

“Japanese style.”

He saw Jensen grin to himself.

“Yeah, I thought you’d like that.”

“I do,” Jensen said, looking at Jared. “It’s a good fit for the house. And for me.”

“So you want a gazebo?”

“Can you build it so that it’ll look like a Japanese temple or something?”

“Tea house design. Yeah, I can work with that.” Jared said, typing into the search box and writing down the supplies that he’d need. “I’m going to need a credit card.”

He looked up to see Jensen already standing beside him – he really had to get used to not being able to sense him – and watched as Jensen slid a black AmEx card across the dining room table. He noted that it had Jared’s name on it.

“Oh honey, you got me a Centurion. It must be true love,” Jared said, smirking.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Jensen told him, chuckling.

Jared quickly filled in the order information and submitted it. “Hey, the total came out to $15,690.”

“Okay.”

“Everything should be delivered in three days.”

“I’m sure you’ll do your best,” Jensen told him, softly. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you create out there. It takes a great deal of patience to have to wait to see the outcome of something that took you months to create. I’m sure it’ll be a learning experience for the both of us.”

“You plan to get in the dirt and help?”

Jensen looked at him. “Of course. You’re not my slave and I wouldn’t be any kind of man if I’d just sit idly by and let you work on it alone.”

“All right.” He said. We’ll see, he thought.

Jared closed down the laptop and stared at Jensen. He was making some kind of pumpkin ravioli dish, which smelled fantastic. Jared thought it was odd how Jensen didn’t make a lot of noise. There wasn’t any kind of clanging of pots and pans. He didn’t make noise tossing something into the sink. Jensen’s movements were precise and slow. It was kind of Zen, really, to see Jensen work in his kitchen. He had watched the way that Jensen set the table in that same slow and methodical manner. He wondered what kind of lover Jensen was: would he be like that out of control beast, like that night in the men’s room; or was Jensen a lover who was so attuned to his lover that he knew all the right buttons to push. Jared couldn’t really figure him out. As soon as he thought one thing about Jensen, the Alpha did something that made Jared feel frustrated or confused. It was like Jensen was all about opposites. Who was the real Jensen?

And Jared did think about last night when he came to the glass house, when Jensen said that he had to jerk off in front of him or not at all. He thought about how he couldn’t read Jensen without his werewolf senses because the silver in the collar suppressed his instincts. He thought about how he wasn’t able to scent Jensen’s pheromones so he wasn’t sure if Jensen was turned on or not. He thought about what Jensen said – if there was something more that happened the night at Moonlight Lounge. He didn’t know what Jensen was talking about. It was just sex, just fucking lust. What else was there? It wasn’t like they loved each other. Jared snorted to himself. Far cry from that. He wasn’t even sure if he actually liked Jensen.

“You sure I can’t help with dinner?”

“I’m done,” Jensen said, bringing out two plates and setting them on the table. “Open the wine and let it breathe for a few minutes.”

“Sure,” Jared said, picking up the corkscrew and maneuvering it into the wine cork, using delicate strength to pull it out. He smelled the rich aroma and set the bottle back on the table. “You know, if I had my senses, I’d be able to name every ingredient that was put into that wine.”

Jensen grinned. “But why would you want to deprive yourself of the mystery of a good wine? Some things are worth the discovery, Jared.”

Jared shrugged, not knowing what to say to that. “The food smells really good, man. You’re a good cook.”

“We each have our talents, right?”

Jared laughed, taking a big bite of the ravioli. He watched as Jensen poured their wines. “You know, Jensen, I know it’s only been our second day stuck in the house together, but maybe this is going to work out, right?”

Jensen glanced at him for a long moment and then chuckled. “Forgetting that this is really a punishment and not just a vacation away from your life?”

“Nah, going back to my life will be the vacation. I haven’t had to read so much since I was in high school.”

“You never thought about going to college?”

Jared rolled his eyes. “No.”

“No interest at all?”

“I make in a month what most MBA grads dream of making in a year,” Jared said, plainly.

Jensen nodded. “True enough.” He paused for a moment. “I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t educated if you didn’t go to college.”

“Yeah, you hurt my feelings, Jensen,” Jared said, laughing. “You went, right? Where did you go? Harvard? Stanford?”

“Rice University.” Jensen chewed slowly and took a sip of wine. “It’s my Grandfather’s alma mater. My father and I both attended.”

“Did you have to go there?”

“It was expected. Rice University wanted to host another Ackles Alpha.” Jensen murmured, gazing at Jared.

“Did you want to go somewhere else?”

Jensen gave him a small smile. “It was my honor to attend the school of my Grandfather, Jared.”

“But not what you wanted.”

“I did want to go there, don’t get me wrong. My family had built a legacy and I never considered breaking tradition.”

“How come your dad didn’t become Alpha after your Grandfather passed?”

Jensen looked at him for a long moment and then gave a small smile. “My father stepped down. He didn’t want the responsibility, so I was the next heir and I said yes.”

“Is being Alpha that important to you?” Jared said, nearly derisively.

“Yes.” Jensen said, without hesitation. “Enough to want to do what was expected of me; enough that I’d fulfill every duty and obligation asked of me. Yes, Jared, it is that important to me.”

“Why? What’s so great about being the pack leader when you’ve got to deal with werewolves like me?” Jared said, giving Jensen a wide smile.

Jensen chuckled. “Well, you do keep me on my toes. Seriously, Jared, what have you learned from your reading so far? The first Alpha made some choices that have had long lasting impact, not only on the position of Alpha today, but on the way that our packs came about. How many original packs were formed from the first Alpha?”

“Nineteen. Is this where you quiz me now?” Jared said, reaching across the table for his book. “Territories divided among each of the strongest nineteen Alphas, with your ancestor leading the pack.”

“But that kind of bureaucracy doesn’t work when the packs are so spread apart and ruled over by one person.”

Jared shook his head. “He couldn’t keep control over everything or all the packs. It made sense to divide and give each of the strongest their own Alpha status in their own territories, making them all independent leaders. Not to mention that they had to hide from the humans and that they were being hunted down like animals.”

“It was a dark time for our kind,” Jensen said, softly. “And that’s something that we can never afford to forget.”

“Why don’t you want segregation from the humans? Wouldn’t it solve a lot of these kinds of problems if we were able to live separate from them?”

“But why is that desirable?”

“My parents forced me to lie because they thought it was going to make it easier for me. What if I was raised in a world of just werewolves? No one would ever have to lie like that again.”

“No one needs to lie like that, period, Jared, that’s my point. What your parents did to you was not only an injustice to you, but to every werewolf pack member,” Jensen said, setting his fork down silently next to his plate. “You think that your parents were doing you a favor, but examine all the anger that you have directed towards non-werewolves. You think that it was their prejudice against weres that forced your parents to hide your true nature; but it was your parents’ prejudice and fear that forced you to hide. It’s not the non-werewolves, Jared, it’s people like your parents that scare me the most because they make it impossible for any of us to build trust and partnerships between our kinds.”

“How do you know? Maybe it could be a werewolf utopia?”

Jensen smiled, pushing his plate away and clasping his hands in front of him. “If you keep reading the story of the first Alpha, you’ll see that they did attempt to create a werewolf utopia and the effects that had on every werewolf pack.”

Jared sighed and closed his eyes. “We’re going to argue every single point for the next six months, aren’t we?”

“Sounds like,” Jensen said, chuckling deeply.

“Maybe I’ll reconsider the slave gig instead and just do whatever you tell me to do,” he said, grinning at the way that Jensen’s smile made his eyes wrinkle at the corners.

“I’d just order you to debate with me,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “I really want you to take the time to just learn more about our history. Keep an open mind and hear me out. I promise that I’ll do the same for you.”

Jared tapped his fingers on the table, looking at his plate. “All right.”

“Hey, you done—“

“Let me clean up,” Jared said, standing up and taking their plates. “It’s the least I can do.”

“No argument from me,” Jensen said, patting his stomach.

***

“Seriously, what do you do when you’re home?” Jared said, leaning on the counter and drying his hands. “You don’t watch television; you don’t play video games. I know you go out, but what do you do when you’re here?”

“I have a work space in the basement.”

Jared laughed. “The batcave!”

“I’m no Batman,” Jensen said, chuckling.

“Can you show me your work space?”

“Sure,” Jensen said, opening an innocuous looking door to reveal a steel door hidden behind it. He punched in a 12-digit code and then pressed his thumb on the bio scanner.

“Pretty high tech lock for just a work space.”

“I do a lot of proprietary research work at the house,” Jensen said as the steel door unlocked with a soft hiss. He pushed the door open leading to a narrow staircase. They took the steps to the basement and Jensen flipped on the overhead lights to reveal a very clean space. It was the size of the entire house and carefully laid out with work tables, tools, and equipment.

“This is pretty amazing,” Jared said, looking around. “What is it that you do? I know you’ve got the Institute and you’re a science geek.”

Jensen grinned. “Bio robotics engineer.”

Jared walked into the room, looking around. “Terminator, huh?”

“You’re not far off,” Jensen said, sitting on a stool. “The Institute is studying advanced cybernetic research and design.”

“Yeah, well, when all the AI computers get enlightened and kill us off, I just want to say upfront, told you so,” Jared said, leaning on the counter and grinning over at Jensen. “So what’re you working on down here, the T-1000?”

“Before my mother died, she was working on research on creating a better artificial heart valve for ventricular assist devices. I’ve continued her research based on my knowledge of robotic engineering and I’ve been working on developing an artificial heart that doesn’t need outside electrical sources to keep it beating,” Jensen said, pulling the cover off of a small, clear box.

Jared leaned on the counter and peer inside the glass box. Inside was a perfect replica of a human heart. It was beating and pulsing silently. “Holy shit.”

“It’s controversial,” Jensen said, sighing deeply. “There are some in the scientific community who call me Dr Frankenstein behind my back.”

“This would be like a permanent replacement,” Jared said, softly. “The person wouldn’t ever need a heart donor if they got this.” Jensen let out a soft laugh that sounded like disbelief. Jared looked up at him. “What? I read the newspaper front to back, you know. I pick up a lot of information so I can talk to my clients at the dealership.”

“I’m sorry—“

“Forget about it.”

Jared moved closer, unable to take his eyes off of it. It was a thing of beauty. It looked like it would even feel like…flesh. It was formed in some clear looking material, like jelly but not as thick. There were a number of different veins and arteries created around it. The heart was beating in a steady rhythm.

“What’s it made of?”

“It’s a special biosynthetic polymer that the Institute created for treating burn victims. I tweaked it a little so that it doesn’t deteriorate.”

Jared ran his finger along the glass case. “Does it speed up when you run? Does it give you a jolt when you’re scared?”

“I’ve run it through some mechanical trials. It duplicates a human heart in every small subtlety and nuance; captures the brain’s signals to beat faster or slower. And it crosses every scientific, medical, moral, and ethical line. If a person were to have this implant, they wouldn’t ever die of heart failure. I’ve hypothesized that with this artificial heart, a person’s life span would triple what it currently is. It’s a fine balance between preserving life and playing God.”

“How long has the heart been…alive?”

“Six hundred and ninety eight days…and counting.”

Jared looked up at Jensen. “God, Jensen…that’s incredible. Everyone always said that you were this genius,” Jared said, standing up and giving him a long look. “You really are, aren’t you?”

“Like I said, we each have our own talents.”

Jared let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. “Well…on that note, I’m going to go upstairs and read. I’ll leave you to it, geek boy.”

***

“Hey.”

Jared opened his eyes to see Jensen leaning over him, smiling slightly. “Wha—“

“You fell asleep. Come on,” Jensen said, holding out his hand. Jared took it and Jensen pulled him to his feet.

“God, I hadn’t realized it was so late,” he mumbled, walking sleepily to his room.

“Goodnight,” Jensen called from his door.

Jared gave a loud yawn and waved his hand at Jensen, going into the room. He closed the door and stripped down to nothing and fell on the bed. He was restless, like his skin wouldn’t settle. The softness of the bed sheets on his skin gave him chills. His cock was hardening and he wiggled his hips, pressing his cock into the sheets.

Fuck it. If he jerked off, Jensen would be able to scent him. All he had to do was just go over, tell Jensen that he needed to jerk off, and let the Alpha have his little show. One, two, three.

With a sigh, Jared moved off the bed and left his room, heading for Jensen’s door. He knocked on it softly. Jensen was dressed in his sleep pants and a tee-shirt, wearing his wire framed glasses.

“What is—“ Jensen’s eyes looked him up and down. He wore a small smile on his face.

“I need to jerk off,” Jared said and then walked back to his room.

He heard Jensen’s soft footsteps behind him and Jared fell on the bed and rolled to his back. He licked his hand and wrapped it around his cock, stroking fast and just on the head. He wanted to get off fast and go to sleep. He tucked his other arm under his head, propping his neck up so that he could stare at Jensen, who was standing in the doorway, watching him.

“You could just come over here and join me,” Jared said, panting deliciously as he arched into his hand. “What’re you holding back for?”

“It’s not about me,” Jensen murmured.

Jared let out a soft groan, his body tensing and jerking as he came. He felt wetness on his fingers and on his belly and he stroked himself through it, shuddering in pleasure. He kept his gaze on Jensen the whole time.

Jensen reached up and flipped the light switch off. “Good night, Jared.”

Jared watched as Jensen closed the door, leaving him alone. He panted loudly, catching his breath. He stared up at the ceiling as he wiped the come off his skin and ran his hand on the sheets. What the hell did he have to do to get Jensen to fuck him?

***

It was two weeks since the Home Depot delivery trucks came to the glass house to drop off all of the supplies and purchases. Before Jared even touched the ground, he had contacted all the utility companies to mark if there were cables underneath where he wanted to begin work. He checked the pH balance in the soil, he assessed the topography of the land, and he took his rough sketches and drew a landscape design using accurate measurements of the area that he planned to begin work. Jensen offered feedback and suggestions for his preferences, but he mostly let Jared handle all the decisions, giving him free reign over the landscaping.

Jared was still a little wary about Jensen giving him such freedom. He didn’t know if Jensen was just a rare kind of Alpha who wanted their Beta to be an equal; or if Alpha-Beta relationships really were balanced. From the texts that Jensen made him read every day, quizzing him at night, he was starting to see that maybe the balance was something natural…but in his experience, a Beta wasn’t always treated equal and wasn’t always given choices. He spent a lot of time sprawled across the couch or his bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what was true.

He thought that maybe Jensen was just…different. And it confused him because the Alpha was nothing like who he thought he was. Maybe it was because Jensen was raised to be the pack Alpha. But when he looked at Tom’s relationship with his Beta, Mike, Jared didn’t believe that Tom thought Mike was lower than him on the food chain. Sometimes, it seemed like Mike made all the decisions. He was outrageous and outspoken; and Tom was quiet and steadfast. He’d never seen Tom lose his temper; and the two of them doted on the other stupidly.

But his relationship with Jensen wasn’t real. He was under house arrest and Jensen gave him the collar to control him. This was punishment; a prison without the cage and walls, but still a prison. It wasn’t a real Alpha-Beta relationship. Jared was expected to bow down to Jensen; he was expected to blindly obey – but was it because it was his punishment or was it something else? It messed with his head; it frustrated him when Jensen didn’t act like the way Jared expected him to.

And Jared missed his werewolf senses. It reminded him of when he was a teenager, when he had to suppress his instincts and pretend that they didn’t exist. He wanted to be able to scent Jensen, know him instinctually. It was like losing his ability to see or taste. Jensen drove him absolutely crazy. He was fucking smart, he was gorgeous, but Jared didn’t know if Jensen was interested in him. Maybe that night at Moonlight Lounge was just an anomaly; that it was just the presence of so much pheromone that made Jensen crack, that maybe it really didn’t have anything to do with Jared. He was just the lucky one to have been the last straw. And now, jerking off in front of Jensen every night for the last two weeks…he didn’t know what Jensen wanted from him and it unnerved him.

He was grateful for the landscaping project. It was back breaking work, but it also let him get out of his head. Jared spent a few hours each day, when he wasn’t reading through the pile of books that Jensen left him, working under the hot Texas sun, sweat drenching his body, his muscles getting the best kind of work out regime that a professional gym could never produce.

The physical labor made him feel tired and achy, but Jared was pleased. It reminded him of how he felt when he was in high school. He’d wake up at the crack of dawn, clock in at the landscaping company, and head out with the crew to whatever project site they were working on. He’d read the landscape designs, dig, move rock, lay brick, plant, water, and whatever else the guys wanted him to do. He was careful with his werewolf strength, believing that the humans he worked with would hate him, or worse, fear him if they ever found out. Yet, it gave him a deep sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. It gave him a little peace.

Jared didn’t have to think about his life beyond the glass house for the next few months. Alona had set up special accounts that would automatically pay his bills. Jeffrey promised to hold his place at the dealership. He often thought about how Chad and the girls were doing, but he wasn’t allowed to contact them. He worked it out with Alona that he’d put $100,000 into a protected escrow account for Chad. The heavy fine would really hurt Chad financially and Jared thought it was his fault that he’d gotten Chad into this mess.

But that was the outside world. Jared was focused on the land. Parts of the land frustrated him to no end. Being this far out from the developed areas, the crab grass and the rocks seemed like endless obstacles to the garden he was trying to build.

He took a deep breath and pulled off his dirt smeared tee-shirt, wiping the sweat off his arms and chest. He picked up a bottle of water and took a long drink. He tilted his face and closed his eyes, pouring the last of the water on his face. He tossed the shirt and the empty bottle across the yard and stared at string that he stretched across various sections of the yard. He measured the area where he would lay down the pale brick to create a circular walk way from the back of the house to the gazebo, in the center of everything, with the small koi pond surrounding it.

The sun was slowly sinking lower in the sky and Jared’s back felt like he was flayed and packed away. He stretched out his long limbs and ambled over to the garden hose. Jared turned on the water hose and held it over his head, washing away the day’s heat and dirt. He closed his eyes and tilted his head so that the water fell right on his face, the drum of the water pressure forcing him to hold his breath. He opened his mouth, taking in a large gulp of the clean, lukewarm water. He bent his head down, letting the water sluice down the back of his neck and over his shoulders. He was soaked all the way through his long shorts; he’d have to strip down before he could walk into the house. He could just imagine Jensen’s horror as Jared trekked muddy water through the living room.

He shook his head, putting his entire body into it as he shook the water from his hair. He let out a laugh and reached over to the water control, shutting it down. He wrapped the hose around his arm and left it in a neat loop on the ground. He looked up to see Jensen standing at the edge of the garden, watching him.

“Hey, didn’t know you were there,” Jared called, smiling at him. “You’re seriously going to have to wear a bell or something, always sneaking up on me.”

Jensen gave him another long look and then grinned, turning to look out at the garden. “It’s coming along, Jared. Let me go change and I can—“

“Nah, come on, I’m bushed, man. Let’s just get food and crash,” Jared said, chuckling.

“I brought pizza,” Jensen said.

“That’s fantastic! I’m starving,” Jared told him, walking to the front of the house. He stood in front of the door and kicked off his sneakers and pushed off his wet shorts and boxers, dropping them wetly on the floor. He picked them up and wrung the water out of the fabric with his hands. He turned to see Jensen watching him. “I didn’t want to make a mess inside.”

“It’s all right,” Jensen said, softly. “I’ll get you a towel.”

“Thanks, man,” he said, running his hands through his hair, squeezing out more water from his hair.

He stood naked and damp, taking a deep breath. He stretched his arms over his head, twisting and bending to get all the kinks out. He bent over, nose nearly pressed against his knees, stretching out his back. He let out a soft groan that was a cross between pain and pleasure, and then huffed out a laugh because he felt good as he stood back up.

“Here you go.”

Jared smiled at him, taking the thick towel. “Thanks, Jensen.” He rubbed himself down, turning his head to look at Jensen. “I think tomorrow I’m going to start digging the koi pond. All the rock that’s in the soil, I’m thinking about putting them on the bottom of the pond, try to anchor it down.”

“You don’t have to rush through the work; I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Actually, it’s just what I needed,” Jared told him, wiping the towel down his chest, to his stomach, and his groin.

“Did you get any kind of reading done?”

“Yeah, I finished ‘Werewolf Justice in America’,” Jared said, wrapping the towel around his waist. “Hey, you know what, I just realized something. All these books that we talk about every night, I realized that you’ve read them all, too.”

Jensen laughed. “Yeah, of course I did. My Grandfather wasn’t going to just give me the pack without knowing everything about werewolves. It’s an inherited position, only the strongest of the Ackles blood line can serve, but that doesn’t mean I’m entitled to any of it. I had to read every book that Grandfather gave me so that I’d know all of these things to protect the pack.”

“Your childhood must’ve sucked if you had to study all the time,” Jared said, walking into the house.

“I was born knowing that I would someday stand as Alpha to the pack,” Jensen said, following him inside. He closed and locked the door. “It was never about choosing between playing with my friends and doing my studies. I didn’t think it was any kind of sacrifice.”

Jared placed his hand on the towel knot on his waist. He grinned, looking at Jensen. “You need to loosen up more. We should get an Xbox.”

Jensen laughed and shook his head. “Go shower and we can eat when you’re done.”

“All right,” Jared called, walking down the hall. “Hey! I have some questions about some of the werewolf laws from the 19th century. Like, how come it took us so long to set up the Were Council in all werewolf packs? And why didn’t the humans want to separate werewolf law from human law? And—“

Jensen chuckled throatily. “Go take your shower, Jared. I’ll be here to answer all of your questions.”

Jared grinned, scratching the back of his head, feeling his face heat up. “Yeah. I guess I got a little excited. I’ll be right out.”

***

Jared was munching on an apple, the book “Betas in History” beside him on the couch. He tapped his pen on the small notebook, jotting down questions and making a few notations. He frowned, taking a deep breath, as he read the passage again:

“The first Betas were selected for their strength, beauty, and ability to withstand emotional and physical pain. In the earliest days, the Alpha would select a young child and have him or her sent to the training masters, taught to conform to their Alpha’s needs and to be ready to stand as pleasure consorts to the Alpha. Oftentimes, the children did not survive the training process, but those who did were isolated from the rest of the pack and submitted to the Alpha’s household as a slave. If the Beta survived, the family was well compensated and gained respect in the pack hierarchy for serving the Alpha.”

Jared rolled his eyes and shook his head. Jared didn’t think it was all that different now, but they called is collaring. He touched the necklace around his neck, his fingers feeling the soft sting of the silver that kept him under control. Maybe the modern werewolf world called Betas their “partners” but Jared had proof now that a Beta was nothing more than a slave and the parents a bunch of greedy pimps.

The doorbell rang and Jared closed the book, standing. “I’ll get it!”

“Thanks, Jared!” Jensen called from somewhere in the house.

Jared walked to the front doors to see a tall, dark haired man standing outside. He had some kind of folded table contraption under his arm and a large black gym bag looped over his shoulder. He opened the door, looking the man over. “Can I help you?”

“You must be Jared Padalecki,” the man said, smiling widely. “I’m Zachary Quinto. I have a two o’clock with the Alpha.”

“Let him in, Jared.” Jensen called, walking towards them.

Jared raised his eyebrow and opened the door, letting him in. “Come on in.”

“Thanks, Jared.”

“Hey, Zachary, I totally forgot about our appointment,” Jensen said, his voice warm and welcoming. Jared watched as Jensen gave the dark haired man an affectionate hug. Jared frowned slightly, feeling like Zachary just walked into his territory. He growled under his breath and covered it by taking a loud bite from his apple. “Have you met Jared?”

“Yes,” Zachary said, smiling. “Really, Alpha, you should’ve told me he was here. I would’ve scheduled time for both of you.”

Jensen nodded. “That was thoughtless of me.” He looked at Jared. “If you’d like to take advantage of Zachary’s expertise, let him know when he can come by.”

“And what kind of expertise am I requesting?” Jared said, taking another bite of his apple.

“Jared—“ Jensen said, his tone warning.

“I’m a professional masseuse,” Zachary said, chuckling softly. “What did you think?”

Jared narrowed his eyes slightly. “Are you a werewolf?”

“Yes,” he said, following Jensen towards the patio doors.

“He’s Christopher’s Beta,” Jensen said, pushing open the glass sliding door. “Chris Pine is my assistant.”

“Chris said that you were tense these days,” Zachary said, setting up the padded massage table. He looked at the way that the afternoon sun splashed on the patio. “Do you want to be under the shade?”

“I think I need some sun today, Zachary.”

“Great.”

Jared watched for a few minutes as Zachary repositioned the table. He pulled out a long white sheet and covered the table. Then set up a few bottles of oils on the patio table nearby.

“Jump up whenever you’re ready,” Zachary said, patting the table. “Tell me what you’d like for me to work on today.”

“My back and neck,” Jensen said, untying his robe and slipping it off his shoulders. Jared held his breath as he gazed appreciatively down Jensen’s naked body. He wasn’t overly muscled, but nicely toned. He had a smattering of freckles over his back and shoulders, warmly tanned skin, the neatly groomed hair framing his cock. He watched as the Alpha slipped on top of the covered massage table on his stomach, stretching out comfortably. Jared swallowed, his eyes moving down the long stretch of his shoulders, back, rounded ass, and long legs. Jesus fucking Christ.

Zachary chuckled, covering Jensen from the waist down. He turned to look at Jared. “Do you plan to stay and watch? I don’t normally do this with an audience.”

“No,” Jared said, roughly, and turned to walk into the living room. He tossed the unfinished apple into the garbage can in the kitchen. He couldn’t use his werewolf senses to listen in on Jensen and Zachary. He tensed, hearing Zachary’s throaty chuckle and Jensen’s gentle bark of laughter.

Jared leaned against the wall in the kitchen, hidden from Zachary and Jensen. He watched as Zachary squeezed oil on his hands, rubbing them briskly, and then placing his hands on Jensen’s shoulders. Jensen had his face turned to the side, eyes closed, murmuring softly to Zachary’s questions. Jared was so fucking hard. He clenched his jaw, knowing that the two of them would be able to scent his pheromones.

“…long will he stay?”

“…months but…”

“…sense him…”

“…ignoring his scent mostly…”

Zachary bent over Jensen, listening to something he said that Jared couldn’t hear, and then gave another soft chuckle. Jared watched as Zachary’s large hands moved up and down Jensen’s smooth back, spreading out the oil so that Jensen was starting to glisten.

Jared narrowed his eyes and walked to the fridge, getting out a bottle of water. He moved through the kitchen and into the home gym. He turned on the radio, blasting music, as he hit the treadmill. He bumped it up to a higher speed and started running without warming up, anything to get his mind off seeing Jensen naked and another man putting his hands on him. He let his annoyance build, wondering if he could sweat it out of him, and bumped up the treadmill another two speeds higher, pushing his body harder.

***

Jared was working on his shoulders, arms, and pecs on the nautilus machine when Zachary popped his head into the gym.

“Hey, Jared!”

Jared glared at him. “Hey.”

“I was on my way to washing my hands and…the Alpha said that you’ve been working on the landscaping – it looks great, by the way – and he thought that you could do with a few sessions,” Zachary said, leaning against the door way.

Jared sat on the bench, looking over at him. “Thanks.”

“I’ll check my Blackberry once my hands are clean, but I think I have an opening on Wednesday at 3 o’clock, will that work for you?”

“It’s not like I’m going to be anywhere but here,” Jared grumbled at him.

Zachary gave him a smile. “Yes, well, I understand. I’ll put you down for Wednesday; if I have any scheduling overlaps, I’ll call and let you know.”

“Fine. Thanks.”

Jared kept staring at Zachary. It looked like he wanted to say something, but Zachary just smiled and pushed off the door way and walked down the hall to the bathroom. Jared continued working out his shoulders, pulling against the weights and feeling his muscles tense.

Zachary waved as he walked past Jared in the gym. Jared could hear Zachary and Jensen talking, but he couldn’t make out any of the words. He heard the front door close. Jared let the weights slam down and he sat on the bench, breathing hard. He pressed the heel of his hand against his cock, closing his eyes. He shivered from the pleasure of the pressure.

“If you need to take care of that, you can,” Jensen said, stepping into the room.

Jared glared up at him. “Maybe I’m not interested in an audience right now.”

“It’s your choice,” Jensen murmured, taking a deep breath.

“You should just admit that you get off watching me come,” Jared said, standing up and picking up a towel, wiping his face and neck. He gave Jensen a mean smirk. “That’s the only way you can get off, right?”

Jensen stared at Jared for a long moment, raising his eyebrow. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“I think you’re repressed, Jensen. All that self-control must’ve done something to your system,” Jared said, letting his eyes move down to Jensen’s groin. He licked his lips and slipped his hand under his shorts, wrapping his hand around his cock and stroking slowly. “Is that the reason why you won’t fuck me? It’s because you’re impotent?”

Jensen’s nostrils flared as he glared at Jared. “You’re about to cross a line, Jared—“

“Maybe you’ll thank me for it,” Jared said, taking his hand out of his shorts. He moved quickly, grabbing Jensen by the edges of his robe and pushed him hard against the wall. He pressed his cock against Jensen, moving his hips slowly, rubbing his hardness against Jensen’s cock. “Maybe this is what you really want.”

“You need to learn to control yourself better than this,” Jensen growled at him. “You spread your pheromones around like a cheap hooker.”

“You need to get fucking laid.” Jared licked his neck. “Let me take off the collar so I can scent you. I can take care of you.”

“If you take off your collar before your six months are through, you’re out of here.”

Jared chuckled, his hands pressing Jensen firmly against the wall. He really didn’t care; he didn’t take Jensen’s threats seriously. His hips moved faster and faster, the friction even more delicious now that he felt Jensen hard against him. He pushed his shorts and boxers down, licking his hand and wrapping it around his cock. He pressed hard against Jensen and started to stroke, groaning heartfelt at the rush of pleasure.

Jensen was quiet against him, unmoving. Jared nosed behind Jensen’s ear, teeth grazing against the side of Jensen’s warmed skin. He smelled like honey and citrus from the massage oils. It was too bad that Jared couldn’t use his werewolf senses to smell Jensen’s true scent underneath.

“You smell so good,” Jared murmured, licking him again. “I’m going to come on you so everyone will know that you’re marked.”

“Get off of me right now, Jared.”

“Fuck you,” Jared hissed against his neck. He gave a loud whimper and came, spurting wetness on his hand and on Jensen’s robe. He shuddered against Jensen, pressing into him even more until Jensen’s body was holding him up.

“You done?” Jensen said, his voice hoarse and low.

Jared smiled and then lifted his head to look at Jensen’s face. The smile started to fade when he saw that Jensen’s eyes glowed a deep green, lips pressed tight. His face was flushed, but there was no amusement, no satisfaction there.

“Again, you’ve touched me without my permission,” Jensen said, growling. “Put your hands behind your back and face the wall.”

Jared snorted, rolling his eyes. “What’re you going to do, give me a spanking?”

“Yes.”

Jared gasped as he felt Jensen’s hand wrap around his wrists, pushing him into the wall where he had pressed Jensen. His arms were pulled back and a large hand grasped his wrists, pinning him still. Jensen moved so fast, he never saw it happen.

“Jensen, what—“

“Shut up!” Jensen hissed at him. Jared felt his shorts and boxers drop to the floor. He blinked and then tensed at the sharp slap on his bare ass. He looked over his shoulder to see Jensen frowning deeply, his hand raised in the air.

“Jensen—“ Jared caught his breath at the next slap. Oh fuck, he was being spanked. He tried to pull his arms free, but Jensen’s hold was like iron. He struggled, but Jensen slammed him back to the wall with his shoulder, keeping him still. “Jensen, really, this is—“

“Silence!”

There were ten slaps in all. They didn’t really hurt, but they shocked him, like being doused with cold water. Jared bit his lip and stared at the wall when Jensen let him go, taking a step back. Jared missed the heat of Jensen’s body against him.

“Get cleaned up and meet me in the living room in fifteen minutes. I want you on your knees and wearing nothing but your collar.”

Jared swallowed, lifting his eyes to look at Jensen’s face. He was still flushed red, his eyes still glowing, jaw clenched tight. Jensen stared back at him, unblinking, until Jared dropped his gaze.

“Yes, Alpha.”

 

 

Part 8: Jensen

Jensen’s Residence  
The Glass House

Jensen paced in his bedroom, hands clenched in fists. He was seriously going to have a heart attack with Jared being so…disobedient and so…gorgeously rebellious. He killed the groan before it could escape and he closed his eyes, trying to settle the Alpha in him who wanted nothing more than to go out into the living room, bend Jared over against the couch, and fuck him like they both wanted. The Alpha in him knew a challenge when it was coming on him and in any other circumstance, Jensen would’ve had Jared on his knees, howling and begging for more. He would’ve bit Jared on the neck and taken his blood in victory. It would’ve been a mating bite – neither of them was prepared for the consequences of his actions. It didn’t matter that they had bred out their animal ways over the centuries; it was still raw instinct to take a mate in a fight and brand them with teeth and scent.

He took several deep breaths, eyes closed, shivering. Never in all of his years was he affected like this. Jensen had never met anyone, werewolf or human, who tempted him and made him crazy like the way that Jared did. As Alpha, he understood that his presence created a bit of havoc with his pack mates. He understood that he had to suppress his emotions and remain as neutral as possible – but this cub, Jesus, he was going to drive Jensen into an early grave. He had no excuse. Jared couldn’t scent him, couldn’t use his werewolf instincts, and Jensen couldn’t take him blind like that, no matter how much Jared seemed to want him.

He sat down on the edge of his bed and glared at the Persian rug covering the hardwood floors, running a trembling hand down his face. He needed to be under control before he stepped outside. He could scent Jared still – smell his come on his robe, smell his pheromones, smell his anxiety. All of Zachary’s attempts to ease some of his tension went straight out the door. The jealousy that came off of Jared was incredible. He had never scented anything like it before. It was so overpowering…tantalizing. Jared had no idea how close Jensen was to breaking his own rules. He promised that he wouldn’t take sexual advantage of Jared while he wore his Beta collar, but by God, he was really making it tough on Jensen to keep that promise.

He stood up and jerked the robe off, bundling it up and throwing it into his master bathroom. There was no way that he could wear that robe, not while it still carried Jared’s scent on it. Jensen stomped into the bathroom and turned on the hot water in the glass shower enclosure. He paced the bathroom for a moment, waiting for the water to heat, and he stepped inside.

The hot water sluiced down his body and he stood under the heat, trying to find his center. He felt his cock hard against his belly, thinking about the way that Jared pressed against him, desperately rubbing himself on him. If Jared were Jensen’s Beta, he would’ve pushed him on that bench in the gym and taken everything that he was offering. It would be his right; it would be their pleasure. But no, not like this. Maybe never. And absolutely never while Jared was under his care. He couldn’t cross that line or break his own laws; but mainly, he would never forgive himself for taking advantage of Jared. He knew that the collar was there as a safeguard, not for Jared, but for Jensen. If he had left Jared uncollared, then Jensen could demand sex as his right as pack Alpha. It wouldn’t mess with Jensen’s morality or his sense of fair play – but like this, no, Jensen couldn’t do it.

He braced his arm against the glass wall and reached down, wrapping his hand around his cock. He stifled his mouth against his arm and let out a soft, heated groan as he shivered from the pleasure. For the past two weeks, Jensen had jerked off in the showers, alone, mechanical, and sometimes just annoyed that his libido seemed to be so out of control. He jerked off fast and hard, biting back any sounds as he arched his back, hissing from how hard he came. Jensen panted under the water, letting it clean him off. He let go of his cock and leaned on the glass, eyes blinking the water away, trying to figure out what the hell he was going to do about Jared.

Jesus, he spanked Jared. His hand still tingled from the way his palm slapped against Jared’s skin, watching it heat up under his touch. He saw the way that Jared freaked out, struggling to get free, until he just gave over so beautifully and submitted to Jensen. It was obvious that Jared had never been physically disciplined in his life; and even though it didn’t hurt him, it was something Jared had never experienced, not even as part of any sexual play. God, Jensen didn’t have a sadist kink. He wasn’t the kind of dom who liked using pain on his partners. He carefully avoided lovers who wanted sexual torture to get off. Jensen like a little bondage, he liked to play, he enjoyed rough sex, but pain didn’t appease his Alpha. He closed his eyes, thinking that Jared was lucky he slipped under his Grandfather’s notice. Jared would’ve never survived being under the whip. It would’ve scarred him, not just physically, but emotionally. It would’ve broken Jared. For all his rebelliousness, Jensen didn’t want to break Jared.

But God, it was so sexy to see his hand turn Jared’s ass dark pink; listen to him grunt every time Jensen spanked him. If Jared belonged to Jensen, he would had Jared get on his knees afterwards and suck his cock and then turned him back against the wall and fucked him until Jared begged to come.

He couldn’t think about this, damn it!

He picked up the bar of nutmeg soap and washed himself quickly. He shampooed his hair and rinsed off. Jared would be waiting for him, probably thinking the worst, and Jensen needed to know why Jared was so jealous. He needed to help Jared control his emotions and his scent. As a werewolf, he would always show weakness when others would push his buttons and scent his emotions. It put him at a severe disadvantage and Jensen wanted Jared to be able to control that. He didn’t want to break him; he didn’t even want to tame him. But Jared needed to learn control.

He shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a thick towel. He dried himself quickly, feeling a little calmer and almost ready to face Jared. He toweled his hair and placed the towel on the bar outside of the shower door. He sighed, walking to the sink to brush back his hair. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with Jared.

Jensen walked into his large closet and pulled on clean boxers and then thought about what he would wear. He pulled on dark pants and a button down shirt. He tucked the tails into the waistband of his slacks and grabbed a belt and slipped it through the loops. He thought it was just formal enough to make Jared see him as Alpha. Jensen slipped on black socks. He looked at himself in the mirror, seeing the tension on his face and in his body. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing his body to come down and relax. He wanted to be calm. This wasn’t about him, this was about Jared.

Feeling calmer, Jensen left his bedroom and walked down the hall to the living room. He saw Jared kneeling on the floor, naked. He was visibly trembling. Jensen swallowed, his eyes dropping down to see Jared’s pink ass. He really was a beautiful man.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, using his softest voice.

Jensen walked around him and sat down on an armchair, comfortable and loose. He sighed and gazed at Jared for a long moment. He took a deep breath, scenting Jared’s nervousness. He was glad that it wasn’t fear. His heart was beating loudly, but it was from nerves.

“The punishment bothered you.”

Jared looked up at him for a moment and then looked away, nodding.

“As Alpha, it’s my duty to keep a physical distance from my pack mates. I can’t be available to every werewolf in my pack. It wouldn’t be fair; and it would only cause chaos among all the weres. There would be competition for my attention; and a chance that they wouldn’t be able to control themselves and savage me to death. That’s why I’m compelled to hold fast the rule about touching me and approaching me. There are procedures put in place to protect my pack mates from the fallout of savaging a pack Alpha; and me from being so overwhelmed by our natural instincts. It’s why all pack Alphas have such a strict rule about touching. Tell me the rule, Jared.”

“Never touch you or approach you without invitation,” Jared murmured, his voice tight and low.

“Have I ever issued you an invitation to touch me like that?”

Jared shook his head. “No.”

“But you’d like for me to give you an invitation.”

“I think anyone who breathes would like an invitation,” Jared muttered.

“I know that you’re…attracted to me, Jared. I’m not going to deny that I find you very beautiful. You’re worthy of my attention. Is that what made you…touch me without my permission?”

Jared bit his lip and then shook his head.

“Look at me, Jared, please,” Jensen murmured, propping his head against his hand and cocking his head. He waited for Jared to center himself, his chin lifting first and then meeting his eyes. “Tell me why you lost control. You’ve been doing so well these two weeks.”

Jared swallowed and made a face. “I…I didn’t like seeing Zachary touching you.”

“You made your jealousy quite clear,” Jensen said, gently. “Zachary and I were both confused as to why—“

“Because he got to touch you like that,” Jared said, his voice sharp. He stared at Jensen, flushing slightly. “You let him touch you.”

“Under different circumstances, if I were your true Alpha, I would never allow anyone to touch me without your knowledge and consent,” Jensen said, nodding slowly. “But I’m not your true Alpha and you’re not my true collared Beta. I only gave you the collar to keep you here so that you would accept your punishment and serve out your six months under my authority. I can’t invite you to touch me for as long as you wear that collar, Jared. And I would never give my true Beta a collar with silver in it to keep you from using your werewolf instincts. It’s a form of slavery and no Beta in any of the U.S. packs wears a slave collar. A pack Alpha would be exiled from the States for their lifetime; and in the Dallas pack, any Alpha who gave a Beta a slave collar would be executed.”

“So you admit that this is a slave collar,” Jared said, raising his chin.

“No. It’s a modified prison collar. If you and the other weres were sent to prison, you’d suffer wearing a pure silver collar, not just weakening you but causing you pain. The collaring laws of the pack apply to me since I was the one who wrote it. Do you understand the difference now?”

Jared looked at him for a long time and then nodded, dropping his eyes to the floor.

Jensen sighed, tamping down his frustration, and leaned back on the armchair. “Get dressed, Jared. Finish your readings. I’d like for you to just take it easy today. I’ll be working downstairs in my workshop. You’re welcomed to come downstairs and just hang out with me if you’d like.”

Jared swallowed, nodding shortly. Jensen watched him stand slowly. He cleared his throat. “One more thing, Jared, I don’t want you to jerk off for seven days.” He watched as Jared glared at him, lips pressed in a thin line, rising to his full height. “I want you to take your sexual energy and channel it into something else; work on your self-control. It is imperative that a werewolf be able to control his emotions – your scent will always give you away.”

Jared clenched his jaw but nodded. He turned and stalked out of the room, giving Jensen a lovely view of his ass.

God, that ass was a work of art. There was a primal part of him that enjoyed seeing his fading hand print on that ass. Jensen was glad that Jared was wearing that collar; he didn’t think he’d be able to control himself completely if Jared had all of his werewolf senses – if Jared could scent him. He heard Jared close his bedroom door and he sank back on the armchair, staring up at the ceiling.

The werecub was seriously challenging all of his good intentions.

***

Jensen knew that Jared was feeling restless and still had a lot on his mind about what happened. He was quiet and subdued, but Jensen could sense something thrumming under Jared’s skin. So he asked if Jared wanted Chinese for dinner and he took a drive to one of the best take-out joints near the city in order to give both of them some space. Jensen trusted Jared not to jerk off or do anything rebellious. It was obvious, from spending a few quiet hours with him while Jensen was working on his projects, that Jared just needed time alone.

When he came home, Jared was sitting at the dining table, plates, forks, and napkins laying neatly on the table. He was reading the “Betas in History” text.

“Hey. I got our favorites,” Jensen said, smiling as he set two bags of food on the table.

“Great,” Jared said, standing up and walking into the kitchen. “Do you want beer or something else?”

“Beer.”

Jensen pulled out the cartons of food and placed it on the table between them. Jared set the bottles of beer on the table and he sat down, tucking his pen into the book to mark his place. He was nearly three quarters finished with the text.

“How’s the reading coming along?”

They both sat down and began to tuck into the food, opening cartons and divvying up the shrimp fried rice, orange chicken, beef and broccoli, spring rolls, and mu shu pork with pancakes and plum sauce. They were both big fans of the plum sauce and Jensen had asked for triple helpings.

“I’m a little…there’s a lot about Betas that kind of threw me off,” Jared said, looking at his plate. “You said that it’s werewolf law to execute any Alpha that gives a Beta a slave collar.”

Jensen nodded, snapping his chopsticks apart and tapping them on his plate. “Yeah. My Grandfather hadn’t progressed very far with werewolf civil rights within our own pack under his leadership. I mean, we always had legislation in place to protect Beta rights but I wanted to make it a criminal offense to abuse a Beta, deserving of capital punishment, for any Alpha who takes advantage of his or her status in the household or in the pack.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t want a pack where the next generation will fear being who they are, that’s not the legacy I want to leave.”

Jared gazed at him, chewing slowly. Jensen ate his food, savoring the sauces and waited for Jared to ask his questions.

“How many...have you had to execute any Alphas since you took over pack leadership?”

Jensen swallowed and then took a long drink of his beer. “Four. The last execution was three years ago. We haven’t had an infraction of the law since the last execution.”

Jared raised his eyebrows. “Wow, I guess you really made an impression.”

“It wasn’t an easy decision. The Elders and I spent a year debating the issue of capital punishment and amending the laws on collaring. We worked with the state government and the city government, asking for their input on the law. Every claim that came before the Council was investigated thoroughly. The Were Council spent months investigating any claim, no matter if it seemed minor on the surface. We investigated the Alpha and the Beta, examined every part of their relationship and the collaring. I mean, it was very obvious that the Beta wore a silver collar. I think there’s long term damage to a werewolf who wears a pure silver collar. The Institute is working on research about it, but it’s difficult to know just how effective our research is because we won’t do experiments, we wouldn’t risk it with anyone, not even the werewolves who wear silver collars in prison,” Jensen said, picking up a spring roll with his chopsticks.

“I never knew.”

Jensen took a deep breath. “If you had attended a school with a mixed student population, you would’ve learned all the laws of our community. It’s not a secret; but if you never knew about our laws, I have to believe that there are other werewolves who don’t know either. My work on the Council is to get the word out. We’ve published information about the law in the papers; we’re going to the schools, community outreach programs, word of mouth, whatever we can do to communicate this law to all the pack members. It could be that the Council will receive more claims as this law becomes understood; it’s something that I’ve been preparing for a few months now.”

“I bet there’s a lot of resistance about it.”

Jensen shook his head. “Actually, no, Jared. There’s nothing but support for this law. A Dallas pack household Alpha clearly understands his or her duties and obligations of collaring their Beta. For the most part, it is done with love and consent, everything that a mating should be. But this law exists because Alphas do take advantage of their position. As pack leader, I won’t let something like that exist in my pack. I can’t afford to ignore something like this. Betas are equal to Alphas in all things; they’re protected mates. I don’t know how you came to think that a Beta would be anything less.”

Jared cleared his throat and grimaced. “Well, you know that I didn’t get the usual werewolf education. After I graduated from high school, I was so fed up with hiding. My parents left me some money and I traveled around, ended up in Indonesia. It was the first time that I was part of a community where werewolves were free and Alphas were powerful and respected. I got into betting on werewolf fights and blew through most of my inheritance while I was in Asia.”

“Things are very different in other countries,” Jensen said, nodding. He frowned, knowing that there were nations out there where the archaic rules gave Alphas total power over Betas – power over their life and death.

“Yeah. I saw a lot of…well, I saw a lot of things that really freaked me out,” Jared said, contemplating his spring roll.

“You saw Alphas who abused their position as their right; and you saw Betas taking it because you thought that they were too weak to stand up for themselves.” Jensen propped his elbows on the table and took a deep breath. “Not exactly the best introduction to our world and our heritage.”

Jared gave her nervous laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah.” He made a face and scratched the back of his head. “I guess it really kind of put in my head that the worst thing that could happen to a werewolf was to be collared as a Beta.”

“You know, a true collaring – a mating – is a privilege for an Alpha, not a right. We can’t force anyone to be our mate or our Beta. It’s partly a function of basic instinct and attraction. So when an Alpha mates, it’s all in the hands of the Beta – it’s their choice to have us or not.”

Jared cleared his throat and grinned. “Um…can I ask you a personal question?”

Jensen chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I think that’s allowed after everything.”

“Well, why haven’t you taken a mate? I mean, I’m sure that there’s got to be werewolves and humans lining up to be your mate. I mean,” he laughed, dimples showing. “You’re, you know, you – the Alpha – you know, Dr Jensen Ackles and…”

Jensen blinked and felt his face heat up slightly. He smiled and shook his head, looking down at his plate. “I’m looking for the same thing that everyone else is looking for in a mate. I do think about someone who would be good for the pack; someone who can speak for me and feel the same way that I do about protecting the pack. And really, I want someone who wants me, not just the Alpha and not someone who’d want to wear their status as my Beta on their sleeve.”

“Yeah,” Jared said, nodding. “Yeah, I get that.”

Jensen stretched and then patted his stomach, letting out a laugh. “Man, I think we really just stuffed ourselves.”

Jared grinned, taking a drink of his beer. “Yeah.” He set his bottle on the table. “Can I ask you another question, Jensen?”

“Shoot.”

“Did you like spanking me?”

Jensen stared at him, eyes widening and mouth kind of frozen open. “Uhhh…well…”

Jared chuckled. “You know I’m not into that kind of stuff.”

“I didn’t think you were,” Jensen said, slowly. “It was a punishment, not, uh, you know, play.”

Jared looked at him from the side of his eye, grinning. “But you liked it.”

“I don’t think it has anything to do—“

“Just tell me,” Jared said, chuckling. “You know, throw me a bone or something, Jensen.”

Jensen cleared his throat, his hands tapping on top of the table. “I…yes, the Alpha in me, I did like your submission.”

“Okay. Thanks. That’s all I wanted to know,” he said, smirking slightly. He looked at Jensen and looked down at his plate, the smirk becoming a pleased grin.

“Don’t become rebellious just because you want my attention like that,” Jensen told him, raising his eyebrow. “I can punish you in ways that neither of us will enjoy.”

“Okay.” Jared laughed, throwing back his head. Jensen watched him, feeling like Jared was back on track again. Maybe they found some common ground and they could move forward a little more.

***

It was past two in the morning and Jensen couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was a combination of everything that happened and completely overeating at dinner. He dragged himself out of bed and walked into the bathroom, pulling on a clean robe. He wrapped it around himself and tied it at the waist.

Quietly, he left his bedroom and strolled slowly down the hall towards the back patio, pushing open the sliding door. He sat down on one of the chaise lounge chairs and sighed softly, leaning back and stretching out. The night air was warm against his skin, a gentle breeze moving over him. He raised his arms and tucked his hands over the top of the lounge chair, staring up at the night sky. Being so far out away from the city, Jensen had the best view of the stars, which seemed brighter in the sky tonight.

He tucked the side of his face against his arm and closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath. He felt calmer; he felt like he connected with Jared and that Jared was headed on a path where he was starting to understand their werewolf heritage. Thank God, he thought, taking a deep breath. Thank God, because Jared was…someone that Jensen could want.

He wasn’t sure if he should’ve told Jared that he liked Jared’s submission. He thought that being honest with Jared, “throwing him the bone” so to speak, would put him more at ease and help him accept that Jensen thought he was attracted to him. Maybe it would stop Jared from trying so hard to seduce him.

A part of Jensen didn’t want Jared to stop. And while it was frustrating as hell for Jensen to hang on to his control, he really didn’t want Jared to stop. God, the scent of him, that sweet orange marmalade scent of him…and his pheromones when he was horny…Jensen knew himself well enough to admit that it was more than just sexual attraction. He had nearly bitten Jared that night at the Moonlight Lounge. And Jared had no idea – no idea that he could rip off that prison collar at any time and demand a true Beta collar; stand beside Jensen at the head of the pack. Maybe one day Jared would figure it out. Maybe he’d even want it.

Dangerous, so dangerous to even let himself think about this. Jensen had control, he had the law, but if Jared gave him consent, Jensen would be in his right to free Jared and take him as his mate, with all the rights that would be afforded to a Beta of the pack Alpha.

Jensen bit his bottom lip, his eyes still closed, and pulled his right hand down to rub the flat of his palm over his cock, feeling it harden under his touch. Even now, if he concentrated, he could scent Jared in his house. It was everywhere. As soon as Jensen was about a mile towards the glass house, he could scent Jared.

He palmed himself, stifling his moan and pushing his hips up, pushing his cock against his hand, rubbing firmly. Jensen threw back his head and shuddered as a wave of pleasure moved through him. He let out a breath and inhaled quickly, dragging in Jared’s scent. He was so lost in the scent; it didn’t occur to him why it was so strong. Jensen clenched his teeth so that he wouldn’t make any noise, hand moving fast and hard now, the friction of his robe and the heat of his hand getting him close to coming. He was so close, so good. He thought about the way that Jared just fell against the wall, his arms loose under Jensen’s grip, as he brought his hand down on Jared’s bare ass, the soft grunts that Jared couldn’t hide from him.

He heard a sound and he opened his eyes, staring at Jared, who was standing in the living room, watching him. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

“Jared, go—“ Jensen panted, unable to stop himself. He groaned as he came, body arching on the lounge chair as he stared into Jared’s dark eyes. Fuck! “Go back to your room.”

He fell against the lounge, hand still covering his hard cock, the robe soaking up his come from his skin. He was throbbing under his hand, goose bumps all over his skin.

Jared just stared at him, unmoving.

“Jared, go back to your room.” Jensen said, his voice hoarse and deep. “Now.”

He turned away, unable to continue looking at Jared. He could scent Jared’s arousal and want. It was thick and just seemed to blanket Jensen. The Alpha growled its approval and Jensen grabbed the top of the lounge, forcing himself not to move a single muscle, praying that Jared would just turn around and get away from him.

After a long moment, Jared took a couple of steps back and turned, walking down the hall to his bedroom. He heard the door close and Jensen fell back against the lounge, relieved, frustrated – he didn’t even know what he was feeling.

Fuck. He didn’t want Jared to see that. He didn’t want to encourage Jared. Jensen sighed and sank against the lounge, staring blindly up at the stars. Did he just take them a step back? What the hell was going through Jared’s head? How the hell did Jensen not sense him?

“Fuck,” Jensen whispered, trying to catch his breath. “Oh fuck.”

 

 

Part 8: Jared

Jensen's Residence  
The Glass House

Jared closed his eyes and sighed, letting the warmth of the sun move over his skin. He felt loose and comfortable, his body melting on the table as strong hands found the knotted muscles on his shoulders. It was just four days since he walked out into the living room to see Jensen rubbing himself and come, looking right into his eyes. He had gotten up to get a glass of water when he heard Jensen’s soft groan, his curiosity making him walk to the back patio doors to see Jensen laid out on the chaise lounge, so beautiful under the night sky, giving himself pleasure.

When Jensen told him to go back to his bedroom, Jared was so tempted to ignore his command and walk out on that patio and take what he wanted – give Jensen what he so clearly needed. But instead, Jared turned and went into his room, ignoring his hard-on. It took everything that he had to leave Jensen. He knew that if he had his werewolf senses and if he had scented Jensen’s arousal, there was nothing – not even the threat of exile – that would’ve made Jared leave.

He wanted to go to Jensen, drop to his knees and beg to touch him, taste him, anything Jensen wanted.

“How does that feel?”

Jared grinned, turning his head to the side, his eyes still closed. “It feels so good, Zachary.”

“You were really tense…right here,” Zachary said, the heel of hands pressing deep against the area of muscle under his right shoulder blade. “Yeah, right here.”

Jared let out a soft grunt and then chuckled. “It’s like the best kind of torture.”

“Well, I’ve been told that I have good hands.”

“Understatement,” Jared mumbled, sighing deeply.

He actually liked Zachary. When he had come to the glass house, Jared apologized quickly for his behavior and Zachary just laughed, slapped him on the back, and told him not to worry about it.

“He’s the Alpha – and not only that, he’s Jensen.” They exchanged meaningful glances. “I’d be protective of him, too.”

Jared just blushed and shook his head.

He couldn’t believe that it was just four days ago that Jensen spanked him. He hadn’t jerked off or even touched himself in any kind of sexual way. When he woke up in the morning, he spent fifteen minutes trying not to rub off on the sheets; and he took cold showers so he wouldn’t be tempted to linger.

Really, it wasn’t fair that Jensen touched himself anywhere inside the house – especially in front of Jared.

“How long is your sentence?”

“About five more months.”

“How’s it going?”

Jared opened his eyes and raised his eyebrow, making Zachary laugh.

“Jensen said that you’re Chris Pine’s Beta.”

Zachary chuckled. “I’m his mate.” He pressed his hands lower on Jared’s back, thumbs moving in half circles. Jared bit his lower lip, turning his face away from Zachary. “Chris and I met when we were in college. I was on the east coast at Carnegie Mellon and he was on the west coast at Berkeley. We met in Baltimore at the Star Trek convention.”

“Did you dress up?” Jared said, laughing softly.

“Oh yeah, that’s the whole reason to go! I went as Spock and of course Chris went as Kirk. It was ridiculous, but it was also really fun,” Zachary told him, his voice thoughtful. “We clicked right away. We knew that this was it for us, you know, we just connected when we met. But we both had to finish college and go back to our schools. Of course, Chris marked me before he left and it nearly killed us to be away from each other.”

“He marked you?”

“Bit my neck and drew a little blood,” Zachary said, laughing softly. “Possessive bastard.”

“Lust at first sight.” Jared grinned and took a deep breath. “You didn’t want to transfer to his school?”

“Are you kidding? CMU is so much better than Berkeley,” Zachary said, laughing.

“I can’t believe he just let you stay there.”

Zachary stopped and looked at him. “It’s not like he could’ve ordered me to transfer to Berkeley, Jared. He may have marked me, but I didn’t accept to be his Beta until I finished school.” He started working on Jared’s lower back. “Besides, a lot can happen in a year and with a lot of distance. We’d only known each other for three days – three pretty intense days – but just because we were compatible didn’t mean that we were going to make it into something permanent.”

“You said that you knew he was it for you.”

“Yeah, well…the first time we had sex, it was…”

“Okay, TMI, dude,” Jared said, laughing. “Did you go to college to learn to be a masseuse?”

“Nope, I studied Drama and Theatre. I learned how to give massages because Chris had some back aches. He was going to law school at Texas A&M, always bent over his desk, reading books for hours. I wanted to help him and I took a few classes…and then I decided, what the hell, I like doing this, why not get licensed and be a professional. So I’ve been doing this for five years now.”

Jared groaned as Zachary found another bunch of knots on the back of his thigh. “Damn, that’s good.”

“Weres have really keen instincts and I seem to have this great empathy for my clients. I know where to touch to help them relax, loosen some of the tension,” Zachary said, his hands moving down towards Jared’s calf muscle. “Like, with you, you’ve got tension right here. Since you’ve been working on this garden, you’ve really strained your muscles.” His hands touched Jared’s back near his shoulders. “It starts here.” Zachary ran his hand down to Jared’s lower back. “And your tension and pain goes through here; and runs right down your calf muscles. I bet your hamstrings and thighs are burning from having to squat and lift.”

“Yeah,” Jared said, sighing.

“I can read muscles like a roadmap. I think that’s the best way to explain it.”

Jared just closed his eyes again and sank back into the padded table, letting Zachary’s hands move up and down his body. He bit his lower lip, feeling his cock harden and fill under him.

“Well…thank you, Mr Padalecki, I’m flattered.”

Jared gave him a groan of protest. “Zach, dude, come on. I know you can scent me, but I can’t scent you.”

Zachary chuckled, throatily. “Don’t worry, I don’t take it personally. A lot of werewolves get turned on during their massage. It just means that I’m doing things right, getting you out of your head and concentrating on every part of your body.”

“Still, it’s not fair.”

“The first time I gave Chris a massage, I made him come without touching him sexually.”

“I can’t come,” Jared mumbled, hiding his face.

“Sure you can. Like I said, it’s not about me.”

“No, I mean, I’m not allowed to come. I have to learn how to channel my sexual energy.”

“Huh,” Zachary said, rubbing out the bottom of Jared’s foot. “How long are you supposed to abstain?”

“Three more days; a week, total.”

“Damn. So how’s that working out for you?”

Jared could hear the smirk in Zachary’s tone. He gave the masseuse a dirty look and then pressed his forehead against the table, shaking his head. “Jerk.”

Zachary moved to the other side of the massage table to begin work on the other leg. Jared gave a pleased sigh and moved his arms up, folding them under his head.

“So what’s it like to be a Beta?”

“What do you mean?”

“You and Chris – you two seem to have something good going.”

“We’ve been mated for almost ten years now.”

Jared turned his head to look up at Zachary, his eyes moving over the thick black hair, the dark eyebrows, and interesting eyes hidden behind the weird black framed eyeglasses. He was tall and well built, good muscle definition in his arms, the dark blue tee-shirt hugging his upper body. From what he could remember about Chris Pine, Zachary was obviously taller than him, a bit bigger framed. His eyes lingered on the thin, gold necklace around Zachary’s neck – his collar. There was a small, flat pendant hanging on the end. Jared knew it probably had their names and their mating date engraved on it.

“I can tell you want to say something, so just go ahead,” Zachary said, grinning at him.

“I always thought that Betas were slaves.”

Zachary snorted, rolling his eyes. “Chris is a little puppy at heart – in fact, all Alphas are like little puppies. They’re all growl and bark, but as soon as you mate with one, something happens.” He laughed a little, working on Jared’s hip. “I think it’s a genetic thing. They’re genetically predisposed to just roll over and do the Beta’s bidding.”

“Seriously?”

Zachary stopped and stood up, his face showing his surprise. “Of course…I mean…Chris is super protective of me, but I’m just as protective of him. I’d kill anyone who hurt him and I know he feels the same way about me. I don’t automatically defer to him because he’s our household Alpha. He’d probably freak out and think something was wrong with us if I suddenly started to do everything he wanted. I think people take these labels – Alpha, Beta, Omega – way too seriously; they’re just legal terms, you know. I think people should just relax and do what they want to do, feel whatever they want to feel. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for Jensen because he’s our pack Alpha, and that means something because I’m a member of this pack. I have a duty to make sure that our pack is strong and that our pack mates are taken care of. We all feel that same way. But I’m not a slave to anyone, Jared, not to my mate and not to the Alpha.”

Jared sighed, turning to prop his chin on the back of his hands. “Yeah, that’s what I’m starting to understand.”

“You know, back in the days when packs would go to war with each other over territory, the strongest fighters were those who were Alpha and Beta mated pairs. They fought the best because they never wanted to appear weak to their mate. And if the enemy pack killed one, the other would go on a rampage and pretty much die in battle, but not after taking many werewolves with him. One of the most famous pack Generals was a Beta who lost his Alpha on the battle field. He took his Alpha’s body home to bury him and then he spent ten years leading his werewolves all through Europe and the Middle East on a killing spree – decimated the Callico pack in Spain back in the 16th century.”

Jared dropped his face into the crook of his elbow as Zachary’s warm hands moved around the back of Jared’s neck. He groaned at the feel of the strong thumbs moving along his hairline, soothing out his tension. He had to wriggle a little on the table, trying to find a way to make his hard-on go away; and Zachary’s expert hands weren’t helping.

“Just relax and don’t be concerned about that,” Zachary told him, softly. “If something happens, you can tell Jensen that it wasn’t disobedience. It was out of your control.”

“I think that defeats the purpose of the lesson, Zach,” he told him, chuckling. “Jensen expects me to learn to control my instincts.”

“Well, you are very easy to read,” he murmured, amused. “Just a little more; let me help you with some of the knots in your neck and we can call it a session.”

Jared consented and relaxed his body, letting out a soft sigh as Zachary’s fingers moved into his hair, massaging his scalp. It felt so good to be touched, even though it wasn’t sexual, and it wasn’t Jensen.

“How do you feel?”

“Good. Really good. Thank you, Zach.”

Zachary patted him on the shoulder. “My pleasure. Just rest for a few minutes. I’m going to wash my hands and get you some water. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Jared murmured, sinking into his restful state, warmed under the sun. He was disappointed that Zachary was done. As much as he enjoyed being with Jensen, he missed his friends, he missed being with other werewolves. Jared was a social animal and he didn’t realize just how much he missed being with the rest of the pack until he was alone.

He loved working on the garden and seeing something he designed becoming permanent. He wondered if Jensen would let him come to visit the garden, weed it and tend to it, after he left Jensen’s house. Things would be different, he had no doubts about that, but he was putting in all of his time and effort into the garden, a part of him felt like it belonged to him, too.

“Here you go.”

He took the bottle of water and with thanks and opened it, taking a long drink of the cold liquid. Slowly, he sat up, the sheet falling down his hips and he turned, hanging his legs off the edge of the table.

“I’m glad you came by,” Jared said, softly. "Thanks for putting me on your schedule, even though I was a douche when we first met."

Zachary laughed, folding the sheets and tucking the oils into his bag. “You know, if you’re working on the garden every day, you’re going to need an adjustment now and then. Maybe I should schedule you for twice a week to make sure that you don’t pull your muscles.”

“That would be great,” Jared said, nodding. “I can’t pay you right now, Zach. I don’t have access to my funds while I’m under house arrest. But if you keep track of our sessions, I’ll pay you once I leave.”

“The Alpha’s got it covered,” Zachary told him.

Jared nodded. “Okay…okay.”

“Look, I’ll bring Chris over one night this week and we can have dinner together. The Alpha can cook for us, he’s a pretty good cook.”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea,” Jared said, chuckling. He set the bottle aside and moved off the table, stretching his arms over his head and letting out a groan of pleasure. “That was awesome. I feel loose everywhere.”

Zachary gave him a sidelong gaze and laughed. He felt Zachary’s eyes moving on his naked body with an appreciative look. “Good, I’m glad.”

Jared reached for his bath robe and slipped it on, tying it at his waist. He watched Zachary pack up the sheet from the table and then released the holds on the table to fold it in half.

“You know, Jared, a mate is a reflection of who you are,” he said, standing up and meeting Jared’s eyes. “I’ve known the Alpha for a long time. He’s a good man; a good leader. I have a feeling that this is just the beginning for the two of you.”

Jared gave him a small smile but shook his head. “I don’t think Jensen would agree. I mean, I know he’s attracted to me, but he also thinks I’m a big pain in the ass.”

“Yeah, well, Chris is a big pain in the ass, too, but I love him.” Zachary patted Jared on the arm and then gave him a hug. “I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

“Yeah, thanks, man.”

***

He turned on the flood lights, giving him plenty of light as he continued laying brick to create the walkway. He had pulled the bricks up twice already, unhappy with the uneven measurements.

“It’s looking great, Jared,” Jensen said, leaning on the edge of the patio wall, watching him.

“Thanks,” Jared said, smiling over his shoulder.

“It’s also late. Why don’t you call it a night and get some rest?”

“Well, I’m kind of on a roll and I just want to, you know, put some more focus on the garden. I should be able to have the gazebo foundation done by the weekend so I’ll need your help putting up the wood slats.”

“You got it…but you shouldn’t hurt yourself by working so hard.”

Jared chuckled. “It’s all right. I’m enjoying it.” He rearranged the bricks into a pattern and then sat back on his hunches, turning to look up at Jensen. “Besides, I’m channeling my sexual energy into something else. I figured that this was the best way to just get out of my head.”

“Jared—“

“Just for another couple of hours, Jensen, and I’ll stop and come in. Promise.”

Jensen looked at him for a long time and then nodded, giving him a small smile. “All right. Let me know if I can do anything, okay?”

“Yeah, I will,” Jared said, smiling. He turned back to the pile of bricks, picking them up and placing them just so on the ground, looking it over with a critical eye. He really did want to get part of the pattern created, thinking that if he could just get this part right, the rest of the path would be easier to lay out.

He took a deep breath, emptying his mind of everything, and just let his hands move the bricks.

***

It was a little past ten when Jared finally shut off the flood lights and walked into the living room. Jensen was crashed out on the couch, his papers beside him on the cushion and on the coffee table. It looked like he just passed out and was asleep sitting upright, his head leaning on the back of the couch.

Jared walked closer to him, intending to wake him up gently and to send him to bed. He shifted the papers to the table, slipping the pen from his loose fingers, and moving the notepad off his lap. He grinned, thinking that Jensen was pretty fucking adorable when he was asleep.

He looked younger. His wire framed glasses had slipped down his nose and was sitting kind of crooked on his face. Jared reached down and very carefully slipped the glasses off, folding them and putting it on top of Jensen’s books. He froze when Jensen took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring slightly, and he opened his eyes, staring up at Jared.

His eyes were so green, a deep glow just underneath. They stared at each other for a long moment. It was the first time that Jared saw him so relaxed, vulnerable, and open. Jensen just looked up at him, blinking slowly, still trying to wake up.

All Jared had to do was lean down and brush his lips against Jensen’s mouth. He stared at the full lips, parting slightly as Jensen realized that Jared was staring at his mouth. It would be so easy to just reach out and touch Jensen’s face, trace the little freckles with his fingertips. Jared thought that maybe Jensen wouldn’t mind it if Jared touched him now. The invitation was so clear on his face.

He saw the blush creep across Jensen’s cheeks and it was Jensen who broke their gaze, moving his eyes away. Jared gave him a smile and stood up straight, taking a step away.

“Come on, it’s late. We should both hit the hay, right,” Jared said, tucking his hands into his pockets.

“Yeah,” Jensen said, rubbing his face with his hands and looking around. “Thanks for waking me up. I would’ve probably just slept the whole night on the couch and Zach would’ve killed me for ruining all of his hard work getting the crick out of my neck.”

Jared nodded. “Yeah. He’s a pretty good guy. I’d like it if Zach could visit me twice a week.”

“Sure,” Jensen said, nodding. “I mean, you need it more than I do.”

“Thanks.” Jared turned and started walking towards the hall. “Good night, Alpha.”

He was at his door when he heard Jensen call “good night” to him.

With a small smile, Jared stepped into his bedroom, feeling certain that Jensen wanted Jared to kiss him.

 

 

Part 10: Jensen

Tom’s and Michael’s Residence

“You’re totally whipped.”

Jensen smiled, wryly, taking a sip of coffee. “Thanks, Tom. Why are you my best friend again?”

“Because I’m pretty and smart.”

“Damn right you are.” Mike snickered at Tom and propped his elbows on the table, leaning towards Jensen. “Why don’t you just take him? It’s obvious that he’d be more than open to it.”

“Not while he’s wearing that collar.”

“You wouldn’t be doing anything wrong or illegal if you took him as your lover,” Tom said, softly.

Jensen thought about that night when he passed out on the living room couch and Jared was standing over him, looking at him like he wanted to make a meal of Jensen. He didn’t want to think about the number of times he jerked off, thinking about how he could’ve just reached up and kissed Jared, taken him on the floor, bitten his neck and ridden him hard until they were both breathless.

“But I wouldn’t be able to look anyone in the eye if I did that,” Jensen said, taking a deep breath. “I swore to the pack, with my blood, to protect every member of the pack in my care. The pack’s submission to me as your Alpha means more to me than a lover who may not even want to stay with me. Jared is still under house arrest and I have my own rules that I can’t break.”

Mike took a bite of Tom’s cheesecake, giving him a wide smile. “Do you think he’ll figure out that if he asked to be your Beta, you’d take off that prison collar and give him the pack?”

“I don’t think he understands enough about it to know that he could ask at any time…and I’d do it, yeah,” Jensen said, softly. “I know he’s attracted to me…but I don’t know if he wants to be my mate, let alone Beta to the whole pack. It’s been two months and he’s learned so much about his heritage, but he doesn’t understand all of the nuances to what a mating like ours would be. I’m not the average Alpha, I’m pack Alpha, and my mate would be my second in command. A lot of people would like the title, but they wouldn’t know the first thing about accepting that kind of responsibility. And I’m not going to mate with someone who wouldn’t stand by the pack.”

“This is why we love you, Alpha,” Tom said, smiling gently at him. “Because you live for the pack first. But you’re still a man and you should be happy, too.”

Jensen sighed. “But not at the cost of the pack, Tom.”

As if he hadn’t had the same argument with himself over and over again. It would be within his rights to take Jared as his lover. No one would ever say that Jensen took advantage of his position. Arrogance aside, who would want to refuse the pack Alpha’s attentions? He was their leader and the pack wanted him to have his sexual release. They would, any of them, offer to be his lover.

“I still can’t believe that his parents kept him from learning his heritage,” Mike said, frowning deeply. “I just thought the kid was just being a punk, you know. I mean, I always liked him because he was so free. I don’t know how he made it this far without knowing his history.”

Jensen nodded. “The Council is still working on this issue. We have another meeting with all the pack Alphas in the state in two weeks to talk about educating the communities. I believe we need to take it to the national level so that every pack Alpha in the country understands this issue. I’m sure it’s not just an isolated incident, but I don’t know what we can do; there will always be weres who will fall through the cracks. As long as I’m pack Alpha, I can’t have anyone in Dallas pack go on like the way Jared was raised.” He took a bite of his cheesecake. “If I could unify all the packs in Texas, that would give us the kind of power base to take it to the national level, bring all of the independent packs together. We’d be able to do so much more.”

Jensen always wanted so much for his pack; not just for the success of Dallas pack, but for all werewolves. There was nothing glamorous about being a politician. For the most part, Jensen was able to keep his hands clean of it, but every year as pack Alpha, Jensen was courted by powerful human and werewolf politicians who saw only his good looks, his academic background, his family’s good name, and his family’s wealth as political capital to gain the entire werewolf constituency. Jensen never traded his pack for power or favors. He would rather give up his place as pack Alpha than to sell out any of his pack mates. But he was still savvy enough to know that that was how things were done. Leadership was never in a vacuum.

“The other pack Alphas would never go for it,” Tom said, thoughtfully. “I always believed in your vision for us; but it could create a great division among us than bring us together.”

“I know,” he said, nodding. “For now, I can only do what I can, fix what is in my own pack first.”

“It’s criminal to make a werewolf hide like that,” Tom muttered, shaking his head. Jensen smiled as Mike leaned closer to Tom and kissed his neck to soothe him. “He was just a kid. I can’t imagine how confused and angry he was. I wish…I wish I had known. I mean, we’re his friends, too.”

“We couldn’t have known,” Mike said, softly. “Jared didn’t trust us enough to tell us.”

“He didn’t trust any of us,” Jensen said, sighing. “He didn’t trust me as pack Alpha. He came before the Were Council and just accepted his punishments without ever letting any of us know.”

And that had stung him the most, that someone in his pack didn’t trust him to understand and to protect them.

Tom made a face. “But his ignorance doesn’t excuse the fact that he stepped over the line. He’s lived in Dallas pack for years so he knows the rules; he chose to break them.”

“But that ignorance isn’t all his fault, Tommy,” Mike said, looking at Tom. “His parents never let him get the education he needed so Jared fought against everything. He thought that being one of us was less than equal, that’s why he was so sideways about authority.”

“True,” Tom said, smiling warmly at Mike.

“He asked me not to go after his parents,” Jensen said, taking a deep breath. “If Jared’s family was part of Dallas pack, I would’ve…” He shook his head, closing his eyes. He would’ve punished them harshly and it would’ve been deserved. “But he grew up in San Antonio and even if I did work with their pack Alpha to bring his parents before the Council, Jared would have to make a legal statement to the fact and I know he’d never hurt his family.”

“Tough position, man,” Mike said, giving Jensen a small smile.

Tom reached over and placed his hand on Jensen’s shoulder. “What about you? How are you feeling?”

“Frustrated,” Jensen said, chuckling and shaking his head. “I get a whiff of him and all I want to do is…the Alpha in me wants to…do things to him.”

Mike laughed, clapping his hands. “I bet.”

“He’s so different now. He’s calmer; he’s deferential without kissing my ass. He’s not submissive, he’s just…calm, like he’s let go of the things that confused him or made him angry…he’s gorgeous.”

“Do you plan to be celibate for the next four months?” Tom said, leaning closer to him. “If you need us, Alpha, we’re here for you.”

Mike nodded. “Any time.”

“Thank you,” he said, smiling slightly. “I appreciate it, but I can’t do that to the both of you again. It’s too much.”

“Our relationship can handle it,” Mike said, his blue eyes earnest. “Don’t let that worry you, Alpha.”

“You’re my closest friends. I don’t ever want to—“

“You wouldn’t,” Tom said, grinning widely at Jensen. “Not even on your worst day could you ever do anything to hurt us individually or as a couple.”

Jensen blinked as he scented Mike’s arousal. He felt his body tense and harden, his blood rushing in his ears, his Alpha slamming against his control wanting out to play. He knew that his eyes were glowing green as he gazed at the lovely bald man. “Jesus, Mike, that’s…”

Tom laughed, throwing back his head. “I think my Beta just issued you a challenge.”

Jensen clutched the edge of the table and pulled himself together. “Thanks, guys. I mean it, really, but…damn it, Mikey, stop it.” He growled at the older man.

“You ruin all my fun,” Mike whispered into Jensen’s ear, standing up to take their empty plates to the sink. He wiggled his ass as he passed Tom, earning himself a warm smack on his ass. “But seriously, you’re not going to get laid the whole time Jared’s with you?”

Jensen took a deep breath, pushing the Alpha down. “It’s only fair. I mean, it’s not like Jared can do anything but jerk off in front of me.”

Tom and Mike turned to stare at him, a long bout of silence in the kitchen. Jensen flinched, not wanting to have revealed that.

“Damn it.”

“Jared jerks off in front of you?”

“I was trying to teach him to control some of his primal urges,” Jensen said, helplessly.

Mike snickered. “So you told him that he had to jerk off in front of you? Shit, I’d pay to see that.”

“Does he have to ask or do you just tell him to drop his pants and jerk off?” Tom said, curiously.

“No, it’s not like that. He asks and…I mean, okay, it sounds bad, but…”

“How many times does he jerk off?” Tom said, chuckling. “Twice a day?”

“Does he have to wake you up in the middle of the night if he’s feeling horny and needs to jerk off?” Mike said, sitting down and staring at Jensen.

“Have you ever denied him?”

“No!” Jensen said, horrified. “I wouldn’t—“ Tom and Mike both gave him a knowing look. “There was that one time when I wouldn’t let him masturbate for a week, but that was a punishment for his bad behavior! He got jealous of Zachary and Jared touched me without permission—“

“Zach? Yeah, Quinto’s pretty hot,” Mike murmured, smiling widely. “And Pine…Jesus, his blue eyes are kind of intense and beautiful. I bet he’s gorgeous when he has Quinto pinned on his back, giving it to him good. I bet his blue eyes just glow like white light.”

Jensen winced. “No, he’s—“

“It can be really sexy to get Mike horny and hard for hours and not let him come,” Tom said, raising his eyebrow and smirking at Mike. “Until he’s begging for it.”

“I bet Jared begged for it as soon as he was allowed to jerk off. Jesus…does he say your name while he does it? I bet he moans like a porn star,” Mike murmured, licking his lips as he grinned at Tom.

Jensen remembered in hi-def digital widescreen detail when Jared finally asked to jerk off. Jensen was sitting in his armchair, reading Council business and Jared was on the couch, reading a text on werewolf biology, when Jared dropped the book on the floor and asked. Jensen knew that he needed it and gave his permission. He watched as Jared stroked his cock roughly with his hands, coming fast and hard once and then a second time, breathing thickly, moaning his name, and letting out delicious whimpers. Jensen had swallowed, his mouth dry, his cock throbbing under his pants. He excused himself and went into his room, pulling down his pants and pressing the heel of his hand into his mouth to muffle the needy moans he made as he came in his hand.

“You’re a stronger man than me if you can resist him, Alpha,” Tom said, looking over at Mike.

Jensen dropped his forehead on top of the table, scenting both of their arousals, and let out a moan. “Guys…not helping.”

“Whipped…totally and utterly whipped,” Mike said, laughing.

Jensen didn’t really want to think about just how right they were.

***

The Glass House  
Jensen’s Residence

Jensen parked his car and walked towards the house. He saw Chris’s car parked in front of the house and looked inside, seeing Chris and Jared sitting in the living room, talking about something that looked rather serious. He frowned, walking into the house. He scented the air as he stepped in, strolling slowly into the living room, gazing at the two of them. He arched his eyebrow at Chris, silently demanding an explanation.

“Alpha,” Chris said, standing up to greet him.

“Christopher,” Jensen said, eyeing his assistant thoughtfully. He smiled at Jared who stood up as well. “What brings you here?”

“I was dropping off some Council business for you and Jared asked me to stay for a few minutes to catch up,” Chris said, softly.

Jensen felt his Alpha hum underneath the surface. He wasn’t…angry to see Chris in his home. As his assistant, Jensen trusted Chris with his life. Christopher and the whole Pine family were thoroughly investigated and vetted by the Council when Jensen made his selection for his assistant. Chris often spoke on his behalf when it came to Council business. There was no one else Jensen trusted and loved as Christopher Pine. He was an Alpha in his own household; and Jensen had always liked Zachary, who was a strong and outspoken Beta and mate for Chris. He found them to be a wonderful match, playful and intellectual, competitive and silly.

Despite the fact that Jensen knew nothing was going on, to see another Alpha werewolf in his home with Jared, unchaperoned and unscheduled, it made his Alpha twitchy. He knew Chris would read it on him. And if anyone could understand Jensen’s reservations, even for something so innocent, it would be Chris, who was famously known for being very protective of Zachary.

“Alpha. Chris was just updating me on some of the issues that the Council is working on,” Jared said, softly.

Jensen let out a curious growl as he paced around them.

“If you would like for me to go, Alpha, I completely understand,” Chris said, soothingly.

He noticed that both of them didn’t move, giving Jensen a moment to control his Alpha, posing no threat. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, scenting the room. There was a bit of anxiety coming from Jared, but nothing from Chris. Maybe a bit of curiosity, but he was not nervous or afraid.

“I have nothing to hide from you, Alpha. Ever,” Chris said, watching Jensen carefully.

Jensen nodded, letting out a noisy breath. “Thank you for bringing me the papers, Chris, and for keeping Jared company while I was away.”

“Of course, Alpha,” Chris said, smiling at him. “It was good to see you again, Jay.”

“Have a good one, man. Tell Zach I said hello and that I’ll see him tomorrow.”

“I will.”

Jensen walked him to the front doors and gave him an apologetic smile as Chris merely nodded, his bright blue eyes looking more amused than offended. That was one of the things that he liked about Chris Pine – he was a professional and he was a werewolf who knew how to deal with a moody Alpha.

He sighed, his hand on the door. He heard Chris’s car start and pull away from the house. He turned and walked back into the living room to see Jared standing there, hands tucked into his pockets. “Hey.”

“Hey. Chris, uh, he just came by to drop off some work for you.” Jared motioned towards the dining room table. “And I just thought he could hang out for a little while and talk.”

“I’m sorry,” Jensen said, softly. “I shouldn’t have over reacted. Of course he’s welcomed here at any time.”

“He’d never do anything to betray you,” Jared murmured, softly. “And neither would I.”

Jensen wanted to throw him on the floor and press him down with his own body, take him and make him moan.

Instead, he walked closer to Jared and smiled. “I’m sorry. And I’ll make sure to apologize to Chris as well. I let my Alpha get the better of me.”

“Okay,” Jared said, smiling back at him. He let out a deep breath and sat down on the couch, long legs stretched out in front of him. “Hey, I did want to ask you about something.”

“Sure,” Jensen said, walking to the dining table and opening the thick binder.

“Chris said that you and the other pack Alphas are meeting to talk about educating werewolves,” Jared said, leaning back on the couch. “I was wondering if I could help with any of that.”

Jensen picked up the binder and walked around to look at Jared. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. I just need to get you up to speed on the legislation, but you know what it’s like to have your heritage hidden from you as a juvenile. I know you can’t be the only werewolf taught to hide in human society. One of the things that the other Alphas and I have discovered in our research is that there are a growing number of families in our communities who are not teaching their werewolf children their own heritage and I want to know why. I’m trying to understand why.”

“There’s a lot of reasons, Alpha,” Jared said, taking a deep breath. “Most of it has to do with fear and prejudice.”

“By humans?”

“Humans and werewolves,” he said, softly. “I know you think that what my parents did was a crime, but they just wanted me to have a normal life. Things are different in San Antonio, Alpha. It’s not the same as it is here. Dallas pack…you’ve really worked hard to make werewolves accepted into society. You fight for rights and for a voice. San Antonio isn’t as powerful as Dallas. Our pack Alpha…he’s a good man, a good werewolf…but he can’t stand up to the human governance and human law. There’s still a lot of prejudice against us there. It’s why I came to Dallas pack instead of going back home. I knew that werewolves had power here, that I didn’t have to take any bullshit, and that I could stand up for myself. That’s why a lot of werewolves come here.”

Jensen grinned at him. “Even though you thought I was just a geek.”

“Well…you are a geek, Alpha, a hot, gorgeous geek with an ass that people would kill for,” Jared said, laughing deeply.

Jensen chuckled and then sat down on the coffee table, setting the binder on the cushion beside Jared. He took a deep breath and bit his lip. “Can I tell you something?”

“You can trust me.”

“I’ve always dreamed of creating a unified pack, Jared. To be one pack with the same rights and powers as any free citizen of this country. We have federal laws that protect us, but every state’s packs run differently and too many things slip past us. I think this is where we’re failing as Alphas. We’ve diversified our power base too much in order to create pack leadership positions that doesn’t always take on the responsibilities for the pack.”

Jared blinked and let out a long breath. “You’re talking about consolidation of pack power? That’s…like the territorial wars of the last century.”

Jensen smiled to himself, a part of him completely ecstatic that Jared understood enough of werewolf history to make that kind of connection.

“They’d go to war with you, Alpha,” Jared said, softly, looking at him. “We all would if that’s what you commanded.”

Jensen nodded, looking at him. “I know. But I don’t want bloodshed. I never want to see a werewolf stand against another werewolf. It doesn’t have to be a civil war, Jared. We’re pack; we come from one lineage of werewolves. And I’d never take another pack by force. History has shown us that war between our kind gives human society the right to persecute and kill us like in the Dark Century.”

“Then how?” Jared said, sitting forward and leaning towards him. “How would you protect packs like San Antonio who don’t have a lot of legal power?”

Jensen sighed, looking at his hands. “I don’t know, Jared. Just because I’m pack Alpha doesn’t mean that I have all the answers. The Council and I are trying to figure out the best way to move forward.”

“Suppose, just suppose, that you did take San Antonio under your pack protection. San Antonio and Dallas would have an alliance. But that would make the other Texas packs nervous. El Paso pack wouldn’t like it. Austin pack wouldn’t like it. Houston pack would want to secede or something.” Jared chuckled, looking at Jensen. “You’ve got your work cut out for you.”

“You’ve really learned a lot about the pack in the past two months, Jared,” he murmured, looking at him.

Jared smirked. “I’m man enough to know when I’m wrong, Alpha. And besides, I have to admit that all of this stuff is fascinating to me. I’m really interested in pack politics.”

“All right. So tell me how you’d make it a bloodless war?”

“To consolidate pack power?” Jared chewed on his upper lip for a moment. “I’d offer protection to the packs with the smallest werewolf populations and those that didn’t have a lot of political power in their city. And then I’d create alliances with the packs that were strong, give them some kind of incentive to make them want to be in a unified pack.”

Jensen considered it and smiled. “Yeah, that’s what the Council and I came up with, too.”

“So you’re going to make a move to do this?”

“No,” Jensen said, shaking his head. “Not now; but it’s something that we’ve debated on the Council.”

Jared barked out a loud laugh. “Man, it’s things like that that make me glad I’m not the pack Alpha.”

“But you could still offer the pack something—your experience, your intelligence, your love for the pack.”

“Awww, are you talking about my potential?” Jared said, grinning and scratching the back of his head. “Come on, you’re gonna make me blush.”

Jensen gave him a small smile. “You’ve come a long way in just two months.”

“Well…isn’t that what you wanted? You wanted me to learn about my heritage, you wanted me to study werewolf society, history and politics. It’s like…” Jared broke off into a laugh, shaking his head. “I mean, it’s like you’re trying to form me into something. But I’m still just a guy who sells cars, Alpha.”

“And from all accounts, you’re one of the best in the state.”

“Yeah, I do all right,” Jared drawled, leaning back on the couch, looking at him. His hand tapped on the back of the couch. “So…you going to tell me why you came in here all Alpha and glaring at Chris?”

“You can’t be that naïve,” Jensen said, standing up and walking towards the bookcase.

Jared chuckled and leaned his head back on the couch. “Alpha—“

“I’m still trying to get used to you calling me Alpha,” Jensen told him, softly.

“You’ve earned it.”

Jensen looked at him. “Have I?”

Jared swallowed and turned towards him. “I think I just walked into a conversation that I didn’t know we started.”

Jensen closed his eyes at the scent of Jared’s arousal, so deep and mellow, the familiarity of it enveloping Jensen’s senses, shivering down his skin and stirring his Alpha.

“If I ask for permission to jerk off, will you stay in the room and let me watch you come? I promise not to move from the couch. I won’t touch you. I know the rules.”

Jensen opened his eyes to see Jared sprawled on the couch, looking up at him. His hazel eyes glowed under lowered lids, a soft flush on his cheeks, moving down his neck to his chest hidden under his shirt. Jensen shook his head. “You have permission, but it isn’t about me—“

“Bullshit,” Jared said, without any heat. It was just softly delivered, a knowing tone to his voice. “I can hear you when you’re in your room. The door isn’t that thick and you kind of lose control towards the end and you let out a moan that’s pretty loud.”

Jensen bit his lip and looked away. “Jared…your situation in my household doesn’t give me the right to…” He sighed, shaking his head. “My answer is no; but you have my permission.”

Jared stood up slowly. “No, that’s all right, Alpha. I’m just going to turn in. Good night.”

“Good night.”

***

“Alpha.”

Jensen rose through the web of sleep and opened his eyes to see Jared standing at the side of his bed. “Jared. Is anything wrong?”

“I’d like permission to jerk off.”

Jensen blinked up at him, licking his lips. “Um. Yeah, sure. Uh…”

“May I kneel on your bed?”

Oh fuck. “Here?”

“Well, I could kneel on the floor if—“

“No, it’s…all right,” Jensen said, swallowing thickly. He was wide awake now. He moved to one side of his bed, giving Jared room to kneel on the end of his bed. He watched as Jared slipped his sleep pants off his hips, naked, his cock hard and pressing against his lower belly.

Jared dropped the small bottle of lube on top of the covers and moved on the bed, kneeling by Jensen’s legs. He spread his knees wide, smiling at Jensen. “I woke up from a dream where you had me bent over the dining table, fucking me with nothing but spit.”

Jensen watched as Jared picked up the bottle of lube, pouring a generous amount into the palm of one hand. He closed the flip top and tossed it on the bed. He swiped two fingers through the lube and rose up on his knees, reaching behind him. Jensen trembled, hearing the soft squelch of Jared’s fingers moving inside of him. He let out a hiss, arching his back so that his cock pushed out towards Jensen.

Jared moaned, his hand moving behind him. Jensen couldn’t see what Jared was doing, the moonlight only giving his bedroom shadows as it moved erotically over Jared’s naked body.

“God, I really miss being fucked,” Jared said, moving his head back. “I don’t let a lot of guys top me like that. I haven’t had a cock inside of me in like two years.”

Jensen gripped his bed sheets, forcing his body to be still. His eyes watched as Jared’s hand curled around his cock, shiny from the lube as he stroked himself slowly, taking his time and drawing out his own pleasure. Jared nearly purred as he moved his hips, the muscles of his thighs standing out as he kept his balance.

“If I had my werewolf senses, I’d be able to smell you. I’d be able to scent your arousal. I’d be able to smell your come,” Jared murmured and then whimpering loudly as his hips jerked. “Uhhhhhh…I fucking love doing this.”

Jensen couldn’t think. He was frozen on the bed as he stared at Jared, his senses filling with the scent of the lube, the smell of pre-come on Jared’s fingers, the heady scent of his desire.

“Jesus, Jared—“

“I’m imagining that these are your fingers, Alpha,” Jared husked, grunting as the hand behind him moved hard. “You’d do it hard, wouldn’t you? You’d want to get me on the ground and put your fingers inside of me, going right for my prostate so that you could make me beg and moan.”

Jensen was so hard; he was afraid that he’d come if he breathed.

“It’s not going to take me long to come,” Jared breathed, panting heavily. Jensen watched as Jared’s hand moved hard and fast on his cock, the slick sound of lube and the sound of their breathing loud in the quiet room. “Oh fuck, yeah…oh fuck…Alpha…oh God Jensen…Jensen!”

Jensen reached his own hand under the covers, squeezing the head of his cock as he came, trembling and out of control. He moaned loudly; an echo of Jared’s moans. They were both breathing roughly. Jensen opened his eyes to see Jared watching him, eyes glowing in the darkness.

Jared gave him a small grin, licking the come off his own hand. He sighed as he removed his fingers from inside of him, his hands fisted on his thighs. “You see, Alpha, it’s so much better when it’s shared pleasure…and neither one of us broke the rules.”

Jensen growled at him, low and warningly. “Go back to your room.”

Jared slipped off the bed, picking up his bottle of lube and his sleep pants. He gave Jensen another small smile. “Good night, Alpha.”

Jensen stared as Jared turned, walking out of his bedroom naked and sated, his ass moving saucily. Jensen could see the streaks of wet lube across the bottom of Jared’s plump ass. He realized that his hand was still clenched around his cock, wet and still drooling over his fingers. He sank back on the bed and closed his eyes, one hand flung over his head. He was still trying to catch his breath.

Damn that werecub. Damn him. Jared had no idea how close he came to be fucked within an inch of his life. And God, Jensen was so close – so close to breaking all the rules. Breaking every rule.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 11: Jared

Jensen’s Residence  
The Glass House

Jared woke up abruptly to feel strong hands curled around his wrists, pinning his arms to the bed above his head. He blinked wide awake, staring up at Jensen.

“About fucking time,” Jared murmured, swallowing his moan as Jensen pressed him on the bed, knees pushing his legs apart roughly. There was nothing gentle about the kiss and Jared tasted blood on his tongue. He didn’t know if it belonged to him or to Jensen.

The hot line of Jensen’s cock seared his thigh and he arched his hips, his legs pulling Jensen closer against him.

“Come on,” Jared said, an edge of his voice. “Come on, fuck me.”

“By the time I’m through with you, you’re going to be begging me to stop,” Jensen growled against his ear, sharp teeth nipping at his earlobe.

Jared twisted under him, grunting out a laugh. “Prove it. Alpha.”

“Insolent cub,” Jensen grumbled at him, shifting on top of him, knees pushing under Jared’s hips. Jared shuddered when the head of Jensen’s cock slipped between his checks, leaving a trail of warm wetness.

Jared whined deep in his throat as Jensen’s cock pushed into him, slick from the lube he used on himself in Jensen’s bedroom. “God…fuck!”

“Yeah,” Jensen growled, teeth pressing hard against the long line of his neck. “Take it. Take it like a good Beta.”

“Fuck!” Jared grunted as Jensen rocked into him, the force of it rocking the bed. He couldn’t catch up with Jensen’s pace, pinned to the bed, unable to do anything but just take it like Jensen wanted. “Damn it! Fuck!”

“This is what you wanted?” Jensen said, gasping loudly. Jared looked up into his glowing green eyes. “What you needed?”

“Yes! Fuck!”

Jared twisted his hands, trying to get free but Jensen’s hold on him was like iron. He bit his lip as Jensen muscled his way in between Jared’s thighs, moving into him brutally, the head of his cock pressing against his prostate at every hard stroke in and out. Jared growled, trying to find some kind of leverage with his feet, slipping against the damp and rumpled sheets.

“Jesus, Jensen, let me—“ Jared groaned, his body trembling. He arched again, trying to press his leaking cock against Jensen’s stomach, but Jensen chuckled darkly, moving away.

“Just like this,” Jensen hissed at him, his smile feral. “Just with my cock, Jared.”

“Oh god,” Jared moaned. Jensen was so gone, focused on nothing but pleasure. “Yeah, just like this.”

“You want more?”

“Yeah—“ Jared choked on his words as Jensen slammed into him hard and pressed close, holding him down with his hips and thighs. The rim of his ass throbbed around Jensen’s cock. He couldn’t move; it was all under Jensen’s control. He clenched around the hardness, a surge of pleasure moving through him as he and Jensen both let out a guttural moan. “Jensen—“

“Alpha.”

Jared looked up at him, desperate for more. “Alpha! God, Alpha, please—“

“Yeah, that’s what I want,” Jensen said, lowly. He licked Jared’s mouth and gave a dark chuckle. “Say it!”

“Alpha.”

“Ask for it.”

Jared arched up quickly, his cock sliding across Jensen’s sweaty skin. Jared hissed in pleasure, his thighs trembling against Jensen’s legs. “Alpha, please! God, fuck me, Jensen!”

“Hmmmm…you’re mine, aren’t you, Beta?”

“God, yes!”

Jensen groaned, licking Jared’s neck. “Make you mine—“

“Alpha.”

Jared let out a hoarse scream when Jensen bit down on his shoulder, hard teeth breaking skin, relentless. He shuddered from the pain and from the pleasure as Jensen started moving over him again, his cock thickening inside of Jared. He rocked his hips up, trying to keep pace with Jensen’s thrusts, his long legs grappling to hook behind Jensen’s thighs and hips but slipping off from their slicked skin and Jensen’s rabbity thrusts. He was going to come, just from Jensen fucking him, nothing touching his cock.

“Please…don’t stop, please, Alpha, don’t stop—“

Jensen smiled, his lips tainted with blood. “Mine.”

“Oh fuck…oh fuck…ohhhhhhh fuck!” Jared squeezed Jensen’s legs with his thighs, his cock spurting between them. “Alpha…Jensen…Jensen…”

“I’m not finished with you yet.” Jensen said, his voice deep and low, lips against Jared’s ear.

Jared shuddered and gasped, twisting on the bed, moving up on his elbow, and panting loudly. He was sweaty and hard, his cock throbbing under his sleep pants, a wet stain on the fabric sticking to the head of his cock. He bit his lip, making a pained noise, falling back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Two weeks of this. Fuck, two weeks of dreaming about Jensen fucking him. Every fucking night, waking up hard and sweaty, wanting nothing more than to just jerk off and come. His toes curled in frustration, breathing past the edge of pleasure.

Panting loudly, he ran his hands over his face, his hair drenched with sweat and plastered on his forehead.

“Hey.”

Jared jumped, grabbing the sheets tangled at his hips. He looked up in the doorway to see Jensen standing just inside his room, dressed in a bathrobe and looking at him, worriedly. “God, you scared me.”

“Are you all right?”

Jared snorted, falling back on the bed. “Just horny.”

“Good dream?” Jensen said, his voice soft and amused.

“Yeah,” Jared mumbled, taking a deep breath. Understatement. Fuck, he was still shivering, his ass clenching at a phantom cock.

“If you want my permission—“

“Fuck, yes,” Jared said, pushing down his sleep pants and wrapping his hand around his cock. It only took him four strokes and he came hard, gritting his teeth and letting out a loud groan that sounded like pain rather than pleasure. “Fuck.”

Jensen sighed. “Do you…? I mean, I know that…”

“Alpha. I just…it’s okay. I really needed that, right?” He turned to see Jensen watching him. “I’m sorry to wake you.”

“I scented you in my sleep, Jared,” Jensen said, wryly. “I figured you might need to come. I won’t punish you if you come because you have a wet dream.”

Jared let out a laugh and just stared at the ceiling. “Every night?”

Jensen raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “If that’s what you need, yes.”

“I’m going to take a shower and get back to bed,” Jared said, pulling up his sleep pants and rolling out of bed. He brushed past Jensen without touching him. He wasn’t really sure what was going on with him – with Jensen, with this, with any of it.

“Jared, if there’s something—“

“I’m all right, Alpha,” Jared said, walking into the bathroom. He flipped on the light and saw Jensen staring at him. Jared gave him a small smile and closed the door between them.

***

Jared unfurled the rolled grass and started to lay down the new seedling on the dirt and soil that surrounded the gazebo. He pressed down firmly, making sure that the new grass lay flat and evenly on the ground. A little bit of fertilizer and diligent watering would anchor the roots and promote new growth. He would plant some low bushes along the walkway and about a dozen new trees around the gazebo.

In almost three months, it was finally coming along. Jared would be finished with it in a few more weeks; and then a few months of pruning to keep the garden healthy and green. And then…Jared hoped that Jensen would hire a professional landscaping crew to come out and tend to the garden often. A Japanese garden needed a great deal of attention and while Jared believed that Jensen would care for it, he wasn’t the kind of man who could spend hours out in the garden, weeding or trimming every single bush or tree. The koi pond and the Japanese gold fish would need special caring, too, and a very specific diet. The water needed filtering and the water temperature needed monitoring. It wasn’t a garden that the owner could just leave on its own for any extended period of time.

He sighed, sitting back and twisting his head to loosen the muscles, letting the sun fall on his face. He wondered if he could ask Jensen to call Zachary to see if he could come tomorrow to help him with some of his aches.

In just a few more months, Jared would be leaving…and he wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much. He wanted his freedom; he wanted to check on Chad and his friends, he wanted to check on his penthouse and to get back to work. He took a deep breath and reached up to touch the necklace around his neck. He looked forward to the day when he could take off the prison collar and leave. But…

He liked Jensen…a lot. He was attracted to him and…

And what?

If he thought there could be anything more with Jensen, he was delusional. Jensen was the pack Alpha, why would he be interested in Jared for anything but just sex? Okay, Jared was smart enough to realize that Jensen might be interested in him, but that didn’t mean anything. Jensen wasn’t just any Alpha. He would need a Beta who was equal to him, and someone that the pack would respect and love like the way that they felt for Jensen.

In all the texts that he read, Jared finally understood that a Beta wasn’t a slave, but a partner for the Alpha, a protector and a counselor. History showed how strong Betas made a powerful impact on all facets of society, politics, business, religion, medicine, education, and entertainment. Jared finally recognized that it was true. He saw it whenever Jensen’s friends came to dinner; Jared thought it was interesting that Jensen’s friends were all mated pairs. Chris and Zach, Tom and Mike – Jensen’s best friends were all Alphas with strong Betas, with thriving partnerships. What did Jared have that could match someone like Jensen? He couldn’t really offer Jensen all that much. He wasn’t well educated, he wasn’t from a prominent family, and he was just learning about his heritage – he knew he had come a long way but…Jensen needed someone who was like Jensen, not a guy like Jared.

Jared thought that Jensen was…incredible. Obviously, he was smart and gorgeous, but there was something else that made Jensen one of the most fascinating weres Jared had ever met in his life. Jared always thought that a pack Alpha should be the fiercest werewolf, tough and merciless, ready to tear out the throat of anyone who got in his way. He believed that a pack Alpha was an enforcer and that the only way to be respected was to be fearless and dominant. Jared used to call Jensen a pussy because he didn’t think Jensen was strong enough for the pack, but he regretted that now. Jensen was steel inside and everything he did, he did for the pack.

And when Jensen asked him for his opinion on a werewolf issue that he was struggling with, Jared wanted to impress him, to show him that he could think about important issues and to be someone that Jensen respected. But, Jared didn’t think that Jensen wanted—

“Hey.”

Jared turned to see a lovely young woman standing on the back patio, smiling at him. She wore a burgundy dress and heels, her dark blonde hair thick and long over her shoulders. She looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember if they had ever met—she was definitely someone he’d never forget meeting. He stood up and wiped his hands on his pants, taking off the canvas gloves.

“Hi.”

“I’m Morgan Ackles, Jensen’s sister,” she said, stepping down the patio and walking towards him. “You’re Jared Padalecki.”

Jared smiled at her, seeing the familiar green eyes and the smattering of freckles on her face. He shook her hand. “It’s great to meet you, Morgan.”

“I’ve wanted to come by and say hello, but Jensen asked me to give you guys some space while you were under house arrest,” she said, bluntly. “I brought some pasta for you and Jensen. Do you want to have lunch with me? We’ll save the rest for Jensen for dinner.”

“Uh…sure,” Jared said, slowly.

Morgan chuckled, looking him over. “Why don’t you get cleaned up and I’ll set the table and get the food ready for us.”

Jared grinned, nodding. “All right. Thanks.”

***

Jared showered and changed into clean khakis and a blue polo shirt. He padded out of his room to find Morgan flipping through one of the books that Jared was reading. “So…I didn’t know the Alpha had a sister.”

She arched her eyebrow. “Oh? I don’t know if I should be insulted.”

Jared blinked, not knowing what to say.

Morgan laughed, rolling her eyes. “I’m sure Jensen has been too busy to talk about his kid sister.” She tapped the books with her finger. “A little light reading?”

“Just something the Alpha asked me to study,” he said, taking the books and moving them off the dining table. He looked around, trying to find a place to set them down.

She chuckled. “Figures. He’s such a geek.”

Jared couldn’t hide his smile.

“You know, you don’t have to be nervous around me. I don’t bite…and I don’t tread on my brother’s territory.” She gave him a meaningful look.

Jared placed the books on the coffee table in the living room. He turned, feeling his face heat up at her comment. “You just caught me off guard, that’s all.”

“Hmmm,” she murmured, softly. “So is Jensen treating you well?”

“Yeah. He’s been a real good guy about my house arrest; saved me from doing time in prison.”

Morgan nodded. “Have a seat. I hope you like pasta, I should’ve asked first.”

“No, it’s all right. I like everything,” Jared said, walking around the table, waiting for Morgan to sit first.

He could feel himself sweating, nervous and antsy. She was beautiful and feminine. She and Jensen shared similar features; and even without his werewolf senses, he knew that she was an Alpha. He suddenly realized that if Jensen hadn’t taken his place as pack Alpha, Morgan would’ve been next in line. She was young, but she was confident in the same way as Jensen.

She gave him a very large helping of pasta and unwrapped bread from warm aluminum foil, putting it between them in the oblong bread basket.

“Thanks,” he said, smiling at her.

“I’ve heard about you,” she said, lightly. “You’ve got a very interesting reputation, Jared Padalecki.”

Jared cleared his throat but chuckled. “It’s probably true. There’s a lot to choose from.”

“I was there that night, you know, at Moonlight Lounge.”

Jared chewed slowly, puzzled. He swallowed and looked at her. “What night?”

Morgan raised her eyebrow. “The night you made Jensen so horny that he pretty much unleashed on the entire city.”

Jared blushed and looked away. “Ummm…”

“It didn’t surprise me that he brought you into his home,” she said, smiling gently at him. “He’s different now and I think it’s because of you.”

“I…what do you mean?”

“Jensen was always kind of a serious person. He always loved reading and science. When we were kids, our dad didn’t want to be pack Alpha so Grandfather asked Jensen if he wanted to lead the pack. Jensen thought about it for a few days and he said yes. He was seven.”

“Damn. He was an Alpha-heir when he was seven? When I was seven, I just wanted to play T-ball and videogames.”

Morgan laughed. “Seriously, right? I was playing with dolls. So Jensen got groomed when he was a kid to take over the pack. He never had any fun. When he wasn’t in school or at his lessons, he spent hours locked in with Grandfather in his study talking about God knows what, and reading every book ever written on werewolf history. I’m glad that Jensen said yes. If he had passed on it, Grandfather would’ve asked me and I don’t think I would’ve had a choice at that point. Dallas pack is always led by an Ackles Alpha.”

Jared nodded, fascinated. He really liked knowing more about Jensen and about how he became pack Alpha.

“Up until he met you, Jensen kind of had a stick up his ass,” she said, chuckling softly at Jared’s shocked look. “I couldn’t think of any better way to say it, but it’s true. He has a tendency to just focus on one thing and forget that he’s a man.”

He widened his eyes, wondering if Morgan was going to start talking about Jensen’s sex life.

“But ever since that night at Moonlight, he doesn’t seem so lonely anymore, so I’m really glad that he has you.”

Jared chewed quickly and then swallowed, setting his fork down beside his plate. “Morgan, ummm, I’m not the Alpha’s, umm…”

“I know you’re not his lover,” she said, nodding. “Not yet anyway. I think he has feelings for you. He talks about you all the time, you know.”

Jared shook his head. He didn’t know.

“Did you know that he was shot by an assassin when he was fifteen?”

“What?” Jared said, staring at her.

“Yeah,” she said, nodding quickly. “Actually, it was an assassination attempt on Grandfather, but Jensen stepped in the way and the bullet just nicked him. He’s got a little scar on his left hip. The shooter was a human and the family and the Council decided to not make it public knowledge. Jensen made the decision to keep it out of the news. He thought that there would’ve been a huge division between werewolves and humans after that. Grandfather wanted to have this big public thing, but Jensen stood up to him and said that he wouldn’t say a damn thing, that he wasn’t going to set back werewolf and human relationships to the Dark Century.”

Jared took a deep breath. “Wow. I never knew that. I mean, he was right though. Every werewolf would’ve wanted to go to war or something if they found out. It wouldn’t have mattered whose pack Jensen belonged in, an assassination attempt on a pack Alpha or even on an Alpha-heir…all werewolves would’ve thought that was a declaration.”

Morgan nodded. “I love my brother; I admire him as pack Alpha, but life isn’t just about being pack Alpha. I’d like to see him happy, too. He’s thirty now and he should be mated.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Jared said, carefully.

“Jensen said that your family didn’t let you know about our heritage,” she murmured, giving him an understanding smile. “I’m not judging or anything, I’m just trying to put this into context.”

“Okay?”

She grinned. “There are a lot of books written about pack Betas, have you read any of them yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“I’ll have to bring you a few. I think you’ll really find them interesting, Jared.”

He nodded, not knowing what else to say. “I get that it’s important for me to know these things…I don’t understand why you’d…”

Morgan took a deep breath and grinned. “Do you love him?”

“Uhh…excuse me?”

“Do you love Jensen?” She said, looking at him earnestly.

Jared pressed his lips together, his face heating up again. He looked away from her and swallowed. Did he love Jensen? Is that why he was feeling so…

“Huh.”

He glanced at her and then looked away, staring at his plate of food.

“You know, it wouldn’t surprise me if he felt the same way,” she said, softly. They looked at each other for a long time. Jared thought he could hear his own heart beating in his ears. “I’m sorry for being so direct; you could say that it’s one of my flaws.”

Jared let out a small laugh, shaking his head. “I don’t think Jensen feels the same about me, Morgan. I, uh, there is attraction there but…Jensen…I mean, the Alpha probably…”

She reached over and patted his hand. “I won’t say anything to him. He’s a smart guy, he should be able to figure it out on his own, right?”

Jared didn’t know what to say. Could Jensen really feel something for him?

“I’m…not the kind of guy that the Alpha would want as a pack Beta,” he said and then took a deep breath.

“Are you kidding? You’re pretty great from what everyone says,” she told him, rolling her eyes.

“I thought you knew about my reputation.”

“Oh yeah,” she said, smirking. “You’re a regular big bad werewolf, aren’t you?”

Jared laughed, throwing back his head. “God, no.”

“We’re not a bunch of snobs, you know,” she said, laughing.

“No, no, that’s not…” Jared sighed. “He deserves someone better.”

“Better than you?” She said, raising her eyebrow.

Jared nodded. “Someone like him.”

Morgan snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. Jensen wouldn’t be interested in someone like him. He’d be bored to death in less than a week.”

“What about the pack?”

“What about it? The pack will accept the person that Jensen chooses as his Beta. That’s not even a question. To question Jensen’s choice would be to question the pack Alpha. The pack would honor Jensen’s choice.”

Jared frowned, shaking his head. “No. I mean, the pack, they wouldn’t want…”

“Someone like you?” She said, smirking slightly.

“Morgan—“

She laughed. “Jared.”

He smiled, looking at his plate. “Morgan, it doesn’t matter. In the end, I’m still just a werewolf without anything to offer him. I’m not going to get my hopes up or anything like that. Jensen’s not in love with me, he doesn’t want me as a mate.”

“How do you know? Did you ask him?”

“I wouldn’t.” He wouldn’t be able to handle that kind of rejection.

“Let me tell you something about my brother – my brother, Jared, not the pack Alpha. Jensen’s never been in love; and the people who want him, they just want something from him. No one’s ever loved Jensen for just Jensen.” She leaned towards him, smiling widely. “What do you want from Jensen?”

Jared blushed, looking away.

“That’s what I thought,” she murmured, nodding sagely.

***

Jared leaned against the doorway to the back patio, watching the way that the moonlight shone on the garden, giving it a silvery glow. He smiled to himself, feeling such a deep sense of accomplishment and happiness.

“I can’t thank you enough for the garden. I love it,” Jensen said, softly. “I don’t know if I said that to you before, so I thought I should say it now.”

“Thanks, Alpha, that means a lot to me,” he said, turning around to smile at Jensen.

Jared felt shy as Jensen just looked at him, a small smile on his lips. “What?”

“You’re so beautiful, Jared,” he said, quietly.

Jared smiled, “Alpha—“

“Jensen,” he said, stepping closer to Jared. “I like it better when you call me Jensen. I’ve kind of missed you saying my name.”

“Jensen,” Jared whispered, licking his lips. He dropped his eyes, looking at Jensen’s lips. “Jensen, I want to kiss you.”

Jensen raised his chin and stepped even closer, just inches from him, close enough for Jared to smell Jensen’s aftershave and just underneath, a hint of that familiar scent of hazelnut and freshly cut grass. “Ask me.”

“May I…may I kiss you?”

“Yeah.”

Jared leaned forward and just pressed his lips against Jensen’s mouth, just a gentle pressure. He felt Jensen’s lips tremble under his and Jared used the tip of his tongue to lick across Jensen’s bottom lip. He sucked in his breath when he felt Jensen’s hands slide over his hips, moving up to stroke his back. Jared whimpered, his hands automatically moving over Jensen’s shoulders, pulling him in closer. He felt Jensen’s lips part and Jared sank his tongue into his mouth, slipping teasingly against his tongue, tasting a bit of the beer they had a little while ago and that particular taste of Jensen. He let out a pleased sounding growl, jerking Jared closer against him. He could feel Jensen hard against his hip and Jared groaned into the kiss, his hands moving to the back of Jensen’s head, fingers slipping through his soft hair.

“God, Jensen, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” Jared whispered against his lips.

“I know. I know, Jared.” Jensen said, pressing his forehead against Jared. “God help me, I know how you feel.”

He looked into Jensen’s green eyes, silver in the moonlight. “I’m in love with you.”

 

Part 11: Jensen

“I’m in love with you.”

Jensen opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, feeling the warmth of the kiss recede as he realized that it was just a dream. He let out a lonely sigh and rolled to his side, sliding his hand under the pillow, just staring at the shadowed walls of his bedroom.

Jared dreamed of sex, but Jensen dreamed of love.

***

The Ackles Institute   
Division of Bio-Robotic Research

Jensen was reading Eric’s report on the initial tests of the artificial eye. He was very pleased to know that Eric’s team was getting positive feedback. At the rate that they were going with the success of their testing, they might receive FDA approval sooner than anyone expected. As soon as the team made some more headway into testing the eye, Jensen wanted to bring them the artificial heart he was working on at his home workshop and hand it off to the team for replication and testing. He didn’t care that there were those who called him Dr Frankenstein behind his back. Jensen knew his strengths and he knew what his medical advancements could do for both werewolf and human society.

The desk phone rang and Jensen looked at the ID screen. He hit the speaker phone button, leaning back in his chair. “Yes, Lucinda?”

“Your sister is here to see you if you have a few minutes,” his executive assistant said.

“Great, thanks, have her come in.” Jensen sat up and watched as Morgan walked into his office, closing the door behind her. “Hey, you, what brings you by?”

She smirked and took the floral fabric bag off her shoulder, putting in on the chair next to his desk. “I brought some books for Jared.”

Jensen raised his eyebrow. “Really?” He reached into the bag and started pulling out the books, reading the titles aloud. “’The Beta: More Than an Alpha’s Partner.’”

“That should be required reading for both Alphas and Betas,” she said, sitting on the edge of his desk.

“’Betas Make the Best Lovers!’” Jensen’s eyes widened and he stared at his sister. “’How to Seduce an Alpha.’ Seriously?”

Morgan smirked and raised her eyebrow. “It’s all academic; I doubt you and Jared would have any problems in the bedroom.”

“Morgan!”

“Jensen!” She said, giggling. “I told you that even though you’re my big brother, you’re still my pack Alpha and it’s my duty to make sure that you’re happy.”

Jensen rolled his eyes and then reached for another book in the bag. “God, how many do you have in there? Are they all related to sex—“ He stared at the book in his hand. ‘”The Gay Kama Sutra.’”

She shrugged. “You can never be too creative…or too flexible. Besides, you seem like you’d be pretty vanilla.”

Jensen knew he was blushing and he tossed the books into the bag, not bothering to look at the others. He really didn’t understand the pack’s fascination with his sex life. He wondered if it was because he was so selective of his lovers, that he didn’t go around and “spread his seed” like some pack Alphas did. His dad, who was a werewolf historian and writer, once asked him for a list of his lovers’ names so that he could interview them to write about Jensen’s sexual habits as pack Alpha. Jensen had balked and never gave his dad the names – more out of embarrassment than anything else – but, he was pretty sure that Morgan did.

“Morgan, please don’t get involved in my love life. I mean, I think you really freaked out Jared by interrogating him. That was pretty mean of you to just show up and catch him off guard like that.” Jensen had found out about Morgan’s visit because he scented her presence in the house, hours after she left. Jared blushed and scratched his neck in a nervous flutter, but finally admitted that Morgan had come by, out of the blue, brought them some pasta, and then Q&A him until Jared was a blushing, mumbling idiot. Jensen had a good idea the kind of questions that Morgan grilled him on so he didn’t ask, seeing that Jared was shy about meeting her for the first time. His sister could be hard to take. It was her Ackles Alpha nature. He always wondered what she would be like as a pack Alpha.

“Jensen, life is too short and playing this silly game with Jared will only end badly.”

“I’m not playing a game with Jared.”

Morgan quirked her eyebrow at him. “Really? So he’s a prisoner in your house and you’ve forced him to be your collared Beta because you’re just ignoring your own laws?”

“No!” Jensen said, horrified. He stood up and moved away from his sister. “Jared violated dozens of werewolf laws and human laws – I couldn’t just let that go, turn a blind eye to it! But I couldn’t let him fall under human laws either – they would’ve put a silver chain on his neck and put him in a human prison! Do you know what happens to a werewolf who can’t protect himself in a human prison?”

“Jensen—“

“He’s under house arrest! This isn’t a vacation for him…and it’s no picnic for me either!” Jensen growled, hiding his sexual frustration from her.

“You’re in love with him! And he’s in love with you!” Morgan yelled back, standing up and facing him. “And you’re just too stubborn or scared to face it. You keep hiding behind the fact that Jared’s under house arrest but you’re not fooling anyone. You can offer him a real Beta collar at any time, Jensen. At any time! You can ask him to be your mate! So don’t give me that. You can lie to yourself, but don’t lie to me.”

Jensen wanted to argue, but he knew it was stupid. He took a deep breath and leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling for a moment. “It’s not that simple, Morgan.”

“It really is that simple, you’re just making it harder by putting all these rules on Jared. That’s unfair, Jensen,” she said, softly.

“I’m being unfair to Jared, after everything that I’ve done—“

“Yeah,” she said, putting her hand on his arm. “Yeah, you’re being unfair to Jared. Not because he’s under house arrest or he’s being punished; it’s because he doesn’t think he’s worthy of you. He won’t ever make that kind of move first, you know. He’ll try to seduce you because he thinks he’s good enough to get sex, but he won’t ask to be your Beta because he doesn’t think that you’d ever want him as one. So it’ll always be in your court, Jensen.”

A part of him knew that she was right. In the few months that he lived with Jared, he understood where all of that bravado and cocksureness came from. He knew that Jared would never make the first move for anything more than sex. But Jensen wasn’t taught to think about himself first – it was always the pack first. Despite Grandfather’s bloody nature, he always thought of the pack first and that was the one thing he drilled into Jensen.

“Would you follow him as your pack Beta?”

“Of course I would,” she said, frowning at him. “He would do everything in his power to love and protect you, not just as pack Alpha but as his mate. And you’d do everything to keep the pack strong. He’d be a powerful second for you because if anything happened to you, big brother, I have a feeling that Jared would be a formidable werewolf, someone to have on your side.”

Jensen nodded, giving her a small smile. “Yeah, I think he would be, too.”

“So what’s the real problem?” She said, taking his hand and pulling him to his desk. She gave him a questioning look. “Do you think he’s not worthy of you?”

“I would never think that of anyone,” Jensen said, shaking his head.

“Do you think Jared would be a strong pack Beta?”

Jensen considered it. The potential was there; and Jared had gained a great deal of knowledge about werewolf history and about pack politics. “I think if Jared chose to be mine – to be pack Beta, he would be a good one. He’d protect the pack with his life.”

“Not just the pack – he’d choose to protect you first,” she said, knowingly. “That’s why he’d be a strong pack Beta. His first loyalty would be to you, Jensen. As long as you live, you will be our pack Alpha – but to Jared, you’d be his mate. That supersedes anything else.”

Jensen grinned at her. “When did you get so smart?”

“I’ve always been smart.” She retorted, raising her eyebrow at him. “Well, Jensen, I guess the question comes back to you. Do you love Jared enough to take that step with him?”

Jensen sat back in his chair and gazed at Morgan. “You know, you’re a real brat. You’re too nosy for your own good and you’re a real busy body.”

Morgan laughed, batting her eyes at Jensen. “Oh, Jensen, don’t try to flatter me.”

“God, you drive me up a wall,” he said, laughing with her. “But I know you have your heart in the right place.”

“Well, someone has to give you a kick in the butt.”

Jensen snickered, shaking his head. “I should’ve told Grandfather no and let you become pack Alpha.”

“Not likely,” she said, giving him an assessing look. “I’m too selfish to be pack Alpha. Besides, it’s in your blood. You were born to rule. A hundred years from now when the historians write about your legacy, they’re going to write that you were one of the best pack Alphas that we’ve ever had.”

Jensen scratched his cheek and blushed, chuckling softly. “You’re just saying that because you’re family.”

“I’m saying it because it’s the truth.”

***

The Courthouse  
Were Council

“El Paso is especially unhappy with any kind of pack alliance,” Justin said, looking at Jensen. “They’re afraid of losing power over their territory.”

“I’m not asking any of the pack Alphas to give up their authority over their territory or their pack,” Jensen said, shaking his head. “It’s not in the interest of Dallas pack to even consider taking on additional pack responsibilities outside of our own.”

“The San Antonio pack Alpha is receptive to your ideas of an alliance; however, his fears are with the human community. He admitted that he wasn’t as strong for his pack; and his werewolves are feeling the brunt of the human heel on their necks.”

Jensen closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Thank you, Elder Ferris. Please continue to stay in touch with him and assure him that Dallas pack is a friend and ally.”

“Of course, Alpha.”

“Have we heard from Houston and Austin packs?” Jensen said and then turned to look at Chris. Chris shook his head.

“Unfortunately, Alpha, we’ve been unable to make any kind of contact with their Alphas. Once they heard of your talks with San Antonio and El Paso, it seems that Houston pack and Austin pack have gone into communication blackout with us,” James said, softly. “It doesn’t bode well for us.”

Jensen nodded. “Yes, you’re right. I’ll do what I can to get in touch with their pack Alphas. It would be…rude if they were to ignore communication that came directly from me.” He looked at the council members. “Thank you for your attention to this.”

He watched as they bowed their heads, leaving the council room. Jensen turned to look at Chris. “I need to send you on a mission and I need your discretion, Chris.”

“You have it, Alpha.”

“I want you to contact your counter part with all the Texas packs to negotiate territorial treaties so that all pack Alphas will be secure in their leadership over their lands and their packs. I feel like this is the biggest obstacle that we have to any future talks between us,” he said, sighing and falling back in his chair. “How did it get to this?”

Chris made notes on his pad and looked up at Jensen. “Alpha, everyone is afraid of change; we’ve not discussed werewolf unification in over a century. It’s going to take some time for everyone to get used to the idea, but all packs believe in progress and prosperity. If it looks like that pack Alphas are looking to create alliances to make our laws uniform at the pack levels, then more pack leaders will have to come around.”

“I don’t want to make a misstep here,” Jensen said, standing up and straightening his jacket. “This is a critical stage.”

“I understand,” Chris said, his tone serious. “And I will do my best to speak to my counter parts to pass along your message.”

“Thank you, Chris,” he said, nodding his approval. “Walk with me; I have a personal matter that I need to discuss with you.”

“Of course, Alpha.”

They left the council chambers and began walking down the long corridors to the main doors.

“It’s about Jared.”

Chris grinned, looking over at him. “I figured it would be.”

Jensen sighed. “I’m going to offer him a more permanent place in the pack…as my mate and Beta.”

“Congratulations, Jensen,” Chris said, laughing loudly and patting his back. “About damn time, too.”

“I hope he says yes.”

“Jensen, he’d be a fool to say no. Plus, he is stupidly in love with you.”

Jensen blushed, shaking his head. “Tell me the truth, how do you feel about him as pack Beta?”

“Are you kidding?” Chris said, staring at him. “Alpha, he would do anything for you; for the pack. I think we can all get behind someone who would do that, you know.”

“It’s not an easy responsibility.”

Chris grinned. “Yes, that’s absolutely right.” He chuckled and took a deep breath. “Alpha, Jared is no ordinary werewolf. I mean, his skill set is all illegal cons and underground games, but it takes a lot of street smarts and ingenuity to be able to pull off some of the things that he has. God only knows what he’s gotten away with – we only know what he’s done to get caught. I think that Jared could handle being pack Beta; it might not even be all that big of a challenge for someone like him.”

“Thanks a lot,” Jensen said, wryly. He trusted Chris to always tell him the truth.

“No,” Chris said, laughing. “I didn’t mean it like that, Alpha. Pardon me. Of course there’s a great deal of responsibility to lead the pack, especially one as ambitious as ours. But I think Jared would be able to handle the pressure. And I think he’d be savvy enough to be another advisor for you.”

Jensen gave him a long look and then rolled his eyes, showing that he wasn’t offended by Chris’s comments. In a way, he felt relieved to know that Chris would support his decision to ask Jared to be his Beta and mate. A part of him was excited but scared; but he knew that he was doing the right thing. It would make him happy; and he’d spend the rest of his days making Jared just as happy.

He squinted in the sunlight as they crossed the courtyard. Jensen stopped and turned to look at Chris. “How did you, uh, you know, ask Zachary to be your Beta and mate?”

“I bit his neck and then fucked him unconscious for two days straight,” Chris said, smirking at him.

“God, Chris! TMI!” Jensen said, and then laughed. He smiled, looking to the side.

“There’s no formal way to ask,” Chris said, gently. “Do what you think would be memorable.”

Jensen swallowed, feeling his heart jump in his chest. He felt weak kneed and was kind of surprised to feel his body go loose and numb.

“Jensen…” Chris had the oddest expression on his face.

“I’m going to ask him to be my Beta and mate, Chris,” Jensen murmured, a wave of lethargy filling him. He grabbed Chris’s arm for support, falling to his knees.

“Alpha! My God, Jensen—“

“Chris? What’s wrong?” Jensen blinked and then felt his body becoming so weak that he had to lie down. “I’m so cold…”

“Someone call 911!” Chris shouted. He pressed his hand on Jensen’s chest. “Stay with me, Jensen. Please, God, just stay with me.”

Where would he go? There was screaming around him. And why was Chris pressing his hand against his chest? God, he was so cold…and the sun was so bright, he wanted to close his eyes from the sunlight.

“Stay with me Jensen! Jensen! Jensen—“

Jensen thought of Jared and couldn’t wait to get home to see him. He had a very important question to ask him…

 

Part 12: Jared

The Glass House  
Jensen’s Residence

Jared was just settling into spending an hour or two with the last book on Jensen’s reading list. He grinned to himself, thinking that he actually got through 25 books on werewolf history and he didn’t gouge his eyes out. He sighed, propping two of the sofa cushions under his head, as he crash out on the sofa. Jensen seriously needed to get a better sofa, something longer and made from buttery leather. He clutched the book in his hand, twisting to find a good position and missing his own leather sectional at his penthouse.

He heard a car nearing the house and he sat up, looking out the front windows to see Zachary’s Lexus SUV. Jared didn’t think that he had an appointment with Zachary. He folded down the edge of the page and tossed the book on the coffee table, standing up to greet his friend at the door.

He opened it to see Zachary looking upset, his eyes bloodshot. “Hey…Zach, you all right?”

“No, Jared, I’m not all right. Chris asked me to tell you that Jensen was shot today leaving a council meeting.”

Jared stared at him for a long time, the smile fading from his face. “What?”

Zachary closed the door, putting his hands on Jared’s shoulders and keeping him against the wall. “Listen to me—“

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Jared hissed at him.

“Listen to me!” Zachary said, raising his voice. “This is not the time. You need to pull yourself together.”

“Is he…“ God, Jared couldn’t even finish the thought, let alone the sentence.

“No, he’s still alive, but he’s not in good condition, Jared—“

“Who shot Jensen? Did you guys get the fucker who shot him?”

“Not yet,” Zachary said, his voice soothing and low. “Chris and the council Elders are working on a contingency plan.”

“What contingency plan?” Jared growled, breathing through his nose in an attempt to keep control of his anger and fear.

“When a pack Alpha is incapacitated, Chris and the Elders work in the Alpha’s name in order to keep peace and order in the pack,” Zachary told him, staring into his eyes. “Jared, the pack is riled up as it is; you need to stay focused.”

“I’m focused damn it!” Jared yelled, pulling away from Zachary and pacing the room. “I want to be with him. Now.”

Zachary nodded. “Chris asked me to collect you and bring you to him. He’s at the Institute.”

“Why isn’t he at a hospital?” Jared said, putting his hand on his necklace. He was useless wearing the collar. He wouldn’t be able to help Jensen or the pack while his werewolf instincts were trapped by it.

“Because this is an assassination attempt and he’s not safe in any hospital,” Zachary said, watching Jared fiddle with his collar. “Jared, what’re you—“

Jared knew what it would cost him if he did it, but he wasn’t going to be tamed right now. He jerked the necklace, ripping it from his neck. He threw it on the floor and let out a loud roar as he felt his werewolf senses come back all at once. He scented Zachary’s unique smell of lavender and honey, mixed in with the lingering aroma of massage oils. He growled, pulling Zachary close to him, his nose following the scent of Jensen on him, the coppery scent of Jensen’s blood.

“I can smell him on you,” Jared hissed, moving his nose along Zachary’s arm to his hand. “His blood on you.”

“Chris was with Jensen when he was shot. He stayed with the Alpha, his blood all over him. I went to Chris and—“

“Yeah,” Jared said, pushing his animal down. “Sorry, yeah…God…I want to see him now, Zach.”

“I’ll take you to him.” Zachary said, looking at the broken necklace on the floor. “The others will know.”

“The Alpha can exile me himself when he’s strong enough to.”

***

The Ackles Institute

There was hundreds of press outside, hundreds of werewolves demanding answers – wanting the command to hunt down the ones who dared hurt their Alpha. Zachary and Jared shouldered through the throng to the heavily guarded doors. Jared followed Zachary into the packed lobby.

“Chris!” Zachary called, waving his hand to get Chris’s attention.

“They’re with me,” Chris said to the security guards. “Please let them through.”

“God, what the hell is going on?” Jared said, staring at the armed security guards standing inside the lobby of the building.

“We’re under heavy lock down,” Chris told them, leading them to the bank of elevators. “These are all loyal Dallas werewolves. They all swore a blood oath to Jensen when they saw him near dead.”

“God,” Zachary said, softly, reaching out to take Chris’s hand.

“How is he?” Jared said, clenching his hands into fists to keep them from trembling. If anyone thought to stop him from seeing Jensen, he would rip them apart with his bare hands.

“Not well,” Chris said as they stepped into the elevator. Jared watched as Chris used a special access badge, slipping it into a near invisible slot. He slid open a small panel and pressed B15, taking the badge out and locking the panel. “We have the best medical teams working on the Alpha right now. Everyone is here – the Council, Jensen’s best friends, his dad and sister – we have to make a decision on what to do for the Alpha and for the pack.”

Jared glared at the elevator wall. “I thought it would be obvious – save Jensen’s life at all costs.”

“It is,” Chris said, nodding. “Of course it is, Jared. Our existence as a pack is dependent on our Alpha.” He gave a deep sigh. “Jensen’s strong but…the assassin used a silver bullet and it went through his left ventricle. We could do a heart transplant but finding a werewolf heart that matches Jensen will take time.”

Jared swallowed as the elevator doors opened. He took a deep breath and scent Jensen’s familiar hazel nut and fresh cut grass. He turned down the long white corridor, following Jensen’s scent. He had to see for himself; he needed to see Jensen with his own eyes to make sure. Jensen wasn’t dead, just weakened. He was strong and he’d survive this.

He stopped outside of a glass enclosed room. A medical team wearing white scrubs, covered head to toe, worked quietly and efficiently around Jensen. Jared pressed his hand against the glass and trembled, seeing Jensen attached to dozens of machines, monitoring his life signs.

“Ohmygod,” Jared murmured, biting his lip. “Jensen.”

“Hello, Jared.”

He turned to see Morgan and an older man sitting in an alcove behind him. He cleared his throat. “Morgan. What have you heard?”

She wiped her eyes and took his hand. “Jensen’s strong…”

He hugged her, rubbing her head with his hand, soothing her. “Yeah, he is.”

“I’m Jensen’s father, Ross.”

Morgan pulled away, turning to stare at Jensen. Jared stood straight and shook Ross Ackles’s hand.

“Sir, it’s an honor to meet you. I wish it was under different circumstances,” Jared said, softly.

Ross reached up and patted Jared’s shoulder. “I feel the same way, son.”

“The doctors said that it’s nearly impossible to match Jensen to another heart,” Morgan told him, sniffling quietly. “And Jensen already has a rare blood type. There’s nothing that they can do for him.”

“There’s no guarantee that the donor match would be strong enough for an Alpha like Jensen,” Ross said, softly.

“I’d give him my heart if I were a match,” Jared said, looking at Jensen again. He looked so young, fragile, and vulnerable. His skin was gray and he wore a silver collar around his neck. “Why is he collared like that?”

“The doctors wanted to keep Jensen from shifting into his werewolf. They didn’t want him to heal because he’d heal with a weakened heart,” she said, taking a deep breath. “God, I can’t stand to see him like this.”

“Morgan, let’s go sit down over there,” Ross said, pulling her into his arms and walking towards the alcove sitting area.

Jared crossed his arms and stood in front of Jensen’s glass enclosed room, just watching him. He couldn’t leave him, not like this. He turned his head when he heard footsteps echo down the hallway. “Tom.”

“Jared, it’s good to see you again,” he said, shaking Jared’s hand. “I’m glad Zach went and got you.”

Jared snorted. “I guess there are a few people who wouldn’t appreciate my presence here.”

“The council members act only in Jensen’s best interests,” Tom said, softly. “But many of Jensen’s friends believe that having you here was in Jensen’s best interests.”

“Thank you, Tom.”

Tom nodded and then looked at Jensen. “It’s ironic that Jensen’s work is in organ replacement and we haven’t gotten to study the heart yet.”

Jared took a deep breath, gripping Tom’s arm. “My God, I’m so fucking stupid. Jensen has a heart; it’s at the glass house in his basement workshop. He’s been working on an artificial heart for two years. It’s perfect, Tom. It’s sitting in a glass box and it fucking beats on its own. Jensen said that he’s been testing it and that it acts like a real heart, but better.”

Tom stared at him for a long moment and grabbed his arm, pulling him away towards a empty alcove. “Are you kidding?”

“No! I’m not kidding! You have to get it! If Jensen needs a heart that will be strong enough for him, then he’s made one.”

“We’d be violating a dozen laws on artificial organ replacement without FDA testing—“

“This is Jensen we’re talking about here,” Jared hissed, using his height advantage to stare into Tom’s eyes. “Fuck the laws. What do you think is going to happen if Jensen dies? Do you think it’ll even matter that we broke a few laws in trying to save his life?”

Tom closed his eyes and turned away. “Where is the artificial heart?”

“His basement workshop. Jensen keeps it under a glass box about this size,” Jared said, using his hands to show the approximate size. “Come on, Tom, we don’t have a choice here. Are you going to wait for a heart that’ll match him? How many werewolves would be a perfect match for our Alpha?”

“We could be killing him anyway trying to transplant an untested heart into him.”

“Look at him, Tom,” Jared said, putting his hand on the glass and looking at Jensen. “Does he look like he’s going to make it?”

“Fuck,” Tom whispered, shaking his head.

“Please.” Jared said, looking at him. “Please. This is his only chance.”

“Everyone’s waiting in a room down the hall. You go and stay there. Don’t talk about the artificial heart to anyone,” Tom said, shaking his head. “I’m going to get exiled for this, but if this saves Jensen’s life, I’ll take it.”

Jared knew what he meant. They shared a look and Jared gave him a watery smile. “Thank you, Tom.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Tom said, glaring at him. “If we fuck up, my Beta will rip you apart.”

Jared nodded, running his hand through his hair. “If Jensen dies, then I don’t want to live.”

***

“What are you doing here?”

Jared lifted his chin as he looked at the council members. “I’m here to be with Jensen.”

“Jared,” Zachary called, waving for him.

“You’re not wearing your prison collar,” Elder Ferris said, walking towards him. She reached up and pulled down the collar of his shirt. Jared bristled at her unwelcomed handling.

“Step back,” he growled at her.

“Where’s your collar?”

“I took it off,” he said, staring at her.

“Do you know what it means to take off your prison collar?” Elder Roday said, standing up and walking towards him. “Mr Padalecki…you must complete the rest of your sentence. If you would like, any of us would host you in our households for the duration.”

Jared looked at the dark haired Elder and nodded his thanks. “I understand what I’ve done. I’m more than willing to accept the consequences of my actions.”

Elder Ferris snorted, rolling her eyes. “You—“

“Wait. This is not the time to discuss this,” Elder Roday said, looking sternly at them both. “Our Alpha is very hurt. What does it matter if one werewolf is exiled now or later?” He turned to Jared. “You must be worried for him, have a seat, Mr Padalecki.”

“Thanks,” he said, bowing his head to the Elder and walking to sit with Zachary and Michael.

Chris stepped back into the room, his Blackberry in his hand. “Both the Alphas of San Antonio and El Paso swear that they weren’t involved in Jensen’s assassination attempt. They swore a blood oath to Jensen to help track down and destroy the ones who tried to kill our Alpha.”

“An attack on an Alpha is an attack on the whole pack,” Elder Peter Facinelli said, pacing the crowded room. “This is a declaration of war.”

“I haven’t been able to get in touch with anyone in Houston or Austin,” Chris said, softly. His Blackberry rang again and Chris answered the call, leaving the room. “Excuse me. Yes, this is Pine…”

Jared watched the reactions of the Elders, their faces showing their incredulous anger and fear. Jared narrowed his eyes, watching them. They were bureaucrats who couldn’t make a decision outside of committee to save their lives – to save Jensen’s life.

“If Houston and Austin have aligned to stand against us, then they’re planning to take our pack and territory,” Elder Ferris said, standing up. “If they take Dallas, then they can take San Antonio and El Paso.”

“I want to help,” Jared said, turning to look at the council members. “Please.”

“You’ve taken off your prison collar, Mr Padalecki,” Elder Ferris said, her eyes narrowing at him. “Your sentence was that if you took off the collar before your six months were through, you’d be exiled from Dallas pack.”

“Exile me, I don’t fucking care, but I want to help. I have resources through San Antonio and El Paso—“

“No one wants your criminal influence,” Elder Justin Hartley told him, his voice low and tense.

Jared clenched his jaw, looking around at the council members. “What will you do if I don’t go?”

“You’ll be branded Omega and given to the pack,” Elder Julie Benz said, glaring at him. “By the time that the pack is through with you, you’ll wish you were in a human prison wearing a silver collar.”

Jared growled at her. He wanted to rip her apart, the animal in him raring for a fight after being anchored for so long. He could see the challenge in her eyes, knew that he probably wouldn’t survive fighting everyone on the Were Council, but he’d give them a good fight. He’d draw their blood for Jensen.

“Jared,” Zachary said, moving closer to him, a warning hand on his wrist. “Not now. The Alpha would never want this.”

Jared looked at his friend. No, the Alpha would never want this. He closed his eyes and nodded. He glared at the council members. “I’ll be out of the city in two hours.”

***

The Penthouse  
Jared’s Residence   
Downtown

Jared stalked into his penthouse, not giving it another look, as he went straight to his home office and to the far wall to the Claude Monet Rue Montorgueil, Paris, Festival of June 30, 1878 painting. He pressed a hidden hinge and swung it open to reveal a private safe embedded into the wall. He twirled through the twelve digit combination and twisted the handle. He pulled out several stacks of hundred dollar bills, his passports – one real and two brilliant and untraceable forgeries, and an unregistered Sig Sauer.

He rifled through his closet, packing it with utilitarian clothes – jeans, hoodie, shirts, boxers, socks, boots – and then went back to his office to pack up everything else. He turned to his desk and unhooked his laptop, putting it and the cord into his bag. He grabbed his car keys and Blackberry. He gave his penthouse one quick look through, knowing that he probably wouldn’t be coming back, and took the elevator to the underground parking garage.

His Bentley SUV was in pristine condition. He dropped his bag on the passenger seat and started the engine, giving it a few minutes to just warm up. He took his Blackberry out and scrolled his contacts looking for Chad.

“JT?”

“Hey Chad,” he said, a small smile on his face. “Man, I really missed you.”

“Why are you calling me? Aren’t you still under house arrest? I don’t want you to get into any more trouble—“

“Too late now, buddy,” he said, softly. “I took off the collar and I’ve been exiled by the council.”

“Damn,” Chad said, softly. “What’re you going to do?”

“You know I always end up on my feet,” he said, smiling slightly. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the head rest. “Shit, Chad, Jensen looked…”

“How’s the Alpha? Do you know anything? They’re not telling us anything yet and we’re all kind of freaking out.”

“He’s strong, he’ll make it,” Jared said, taking a deep breath. He needed the pack to know that Jensen was strong. Chad would spread the word.

“Thank God.” Chad mumbled incoherently.

Jared grinned, hearing sniffles. “Dude, are you crying?”

“Shut up! He’s our Alpha!” Chad yelled and Jared took a deep breath, nodding his agreement.

“Look, I need you to do me a favor.”

“What do you need, brother?”

“I need you to get in touch with all of our boys from El Paso, San Antonio, and Dallas – only the ones that you trust. I know they’re going to want blood for what happened to the Alpha. I’m going after them, Chad, those fuckers who tried to kill Jensen,” Jared growled, tapping his hand on the steering wheel. “They’re already dead meat as far as I’m concerned.”

“Don’t do anything crazy, Jay, come on—“

“What do I have to lose? I don’t have a home anymore and Jensen is…” Jared closed his eyes, seeing him on the surgery gurney, barely alive. “I don’t belong to a pack, but I’m loyal to Jensen. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to protect him; and I’ll bring back the heads of the werewolves who ordered Jensen’s death.”

 

Part 13: Jensen

The Glass House   
Jensen’s Residence

The pain woke him.

Jensen opened his eyes and saw that he was in his bedroom. He sat up, groaning softly in pain and he pressed the palm of his hand against his chest, feeling the surgery sutures. His fingertips brushed against the silver necklace and Jensen sneered in distaste.

Who the fuck put a silver collar on him!

He ripped it off and got off the bed, the rage boiling through him. He let out a loud growl, the house shaking under his feet. The hospital gown ripped off his body as he changed into his werewolf form, his scars healing. He stared at his arms and down his body, his hair growing out. He roared again, watching as his bones shifted, his muscles thickened and elongated under the skin. He scented the air, sniffing for a specific scent – mate – where was mate?

The bedroom door opened and the council Elders and Chris rushed in. They all dropped to their knees and bowed their heads as Jensen stalked closer to them, scenting them slowly and growling deep in his throat. His glowing green eyes moved over them and stopped on Chris. He barked out a command – explain – and Chris raised his head, meeting his eyes.

“Alpha, you were shot in the heart with silver. We were able to give you a heart transplant which saved your life. We believe that the Alphas of Houston and Austin were responsible for your assassination attempt,” Chris said, his voice steady and controlled.

Jensen barked at him again – why! – motioning to the silver chain on the floor.

“The doctors believed that by not allowing you to shift until after the transplant operation, it would give you a chance to heal yourself later when you were adapted to the new heart.”

Jensen gave another growl, his claws gesturing to the council Elders and pointing to the door. He watched as they stood and left his bedroom quickly, closing the door behind them.

He changed back to his human form, closing his eyes as he reined in his animal bloodlust. He was furious at being collared with silver, but the logical side understood their actions for not allowing him to heal. He groaned, changing and adjusting back to his human body. He opened his eyes and looked at Chris, who was holding out a robe for him.

“Thanks,” he said, taking the robe and slipping it on. He walked to the long mirror and stared at the faint mark on his skin. He touched his chest, feeling the artificial heart beating steadily under his skin. “How did you know about the heart?”

“It was Jared. He told Tom and Tom prepared the heart for transplanting,” Chris said, softly. “He did so without the Council’s approval.”

Jensen tied the sash on the robe and turned to look at Chris. “I suppose that Tom’s in a whole heap of trouble for his actions.”

“Due to the nature of your close friendship with him, he is under house arrest at his home,” Chris said, frowning slightly.

“Is he collared?” Jensen said, running his hand around his neck, remembering the burn of the silver.

“Yes.”

“Fuck that. Fix it right now, Chris,” Jensen said, glaring at him. “I thought you would’ve been able to handle things better while I was out of it. What the fuck have you and the Council been doing?”

“We’ve been trying to track down the Houston Alpha and the Austin Alpha for their part in your assassination attempt,” Chris said, bowing his head. “I was able to confirm that they did sanction your death in an attempt to take over the Texas packs.”

Jensen took a deep breath, forcing his anger down.

“I’m glad you’re alive, Jensen.”

He turned to look at one of his most trusted friends. “Thank you, Chris.” He sat on the edge of the bed and shook his head. Jensen felt like his skin didn’t fit right. Something itched in his bones and he frowned, staring at the floor. “How long have I been out?”

“Over two weeks.”

“Where’s Jared? I couldn’t scent him in the house.” Jensen said, and then looked up at Chris when he didn’t get an immediate answer. He raised his eyebrow and tilted his chin.

“The Council exiled him,” Chris said, softly.

“What?” Jensen said, standing up. He stalked towards Chris, staring down at him. “You allowed Jared to be exiled?”

“After you were shot, I had Zach bring Jared to you. The council members saw that he wasn’t wearing his prison collar and Jared told them that he understood the consequences, but that he wanted to help—“

“You knew that I was going to ask him to be my mate – why did you allow for the Council to exile him!” Jensen yelled, grabbing the front of Chris’s shirt, eyes glowing at him. He felt the claws itching to come out. He snarled, inhaling deeply, catching the scent of Chris’s anxiety, but not guilt.

“It wasn’t official! I’m sorry, Alpha, but I wasn’t there to stop it! No one else knew that you intended to take him as mate! Morgan and I tried – we tried to persuade the Council, but they didn’t believe us. And by the time I had convinced the council members, it was too late, Jared had already left the city!” Chris said, meeting Jensen’s hard look. “Jensen, I would never—“

Jensen released him and turned away, shaking his head. “God, where did he go?”

“I’ve done what I can to keep an eye on him,” Chris said, softly. He smoothed down his shirt and looked at the carpet. “He’s moving from El Paso to San Antonio, never staying in one place long enough. I’ve been trying to get in touch with him, but he won’t take any of my communications or meeting requests. He’s working with his friends and they’re hunting the Houston Alpha and Austin Alpha. The whole world is on alert for them.”

“Is Jared okay?”

Chris nodded. “Yes. The last time I saw him was four days after you were shot. He delivered your shooter. He brought the werewolf to the Council. Jared had cut off the werewolf’s hands.”

Jensen swallowed, closing his eyes. His soul hurt for Jared. “He needs to come home.”

“The Council sentenced your shooter to death and executed him quickly. Jared left soon after,” Chris said, taking a deep breath.

“I don’t want a war, Chris.”

“It may be necessary to cleanse the packs,” Chris said, standing in front of him.

“Who is leading the Houston and Austin packs now?”

“Christian Kane.”

Jensen frowned, considering. “I know him – not well, but I know of him. He has a good reputation. He sat on the Houston Were Council, right?”

“Yes, Alpha. He’s actually interim Alpha for both Houston and Austin. Austin’s pack was completely out of control over what happened; they’re afraid of reprisals from Dallas.”

“They should be,” Jensen growled. He clenched his teeth and curled his hands into fists.

“I agree.”

“I want to meet him. Find a neutral place for us and I want it to be heavily secured.”

“Of course, Alpha.”

“And I want Dallas pack to stand down. I don’t want some cowboy werewolf to cross the line and open us to retaliation. I want the Houston and Austin Alphas found, but I’m not giving a kill order. We have to show that werewolf justice can be effective and respected,” Jensen said, turning to look at Chris, not missing the look of doubt on his face. “You don’t agree?”

Chris looked at him and offered a small smile. “They tried to kill my pack Alpha and friend – my brother. I’m not feeling forgiving right now.”

Jensen nodded. “I know, if anyone can know how you feel, I do. But I can’t afford to have this become a blood bath. I still believe that we can unify the packs, create strength out of the one – to be whole, Chris. Even if you can’t see it right now, you have to get past your anger, for the sake of all of the packs.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“One more thing, Chris, I want you to find Jared for me. I want to see him.”

Chris bowed his head. “I will do my best.”

Jensen nodded. “Send in the council Elders. I have a few words that I want to share with them.”

***

Ackles Family Manor   
Outside Dallas – Fort Worth

Jensen stood on the balcony, looking out at the vast acres of land surrounding the castle that Grandfather commissioned years before Jensen was even born – probably before Jensen’s dad was born. He really didn’t like being in the castle, but he listened to the pleas of Chris and his Council to move out of the glass house and into the family manor where they could provide round-the-clock security on the house and the surrounding land.

Not many knew, but Grandfather Victor Ackles had a wicked sense of humor. When he was a kid, Jensen would spend hours with him, locked away in his private study. Everyone thought that Grandfather was tutoring him on pack politics or pack history, but mostly, they watched ‘Jeopardy’ or played chess or talked about Jensen’s interest in making things with his hands. Grandfather fed his love for building by giving him Legos, but playtime wasn’t just playtime. Grandfather asked him to use Legos to try and make mechanical objects or simple levers.

He grinned, thinking about those days just hanging out with Grandfather. He loved spending time with him. He admired Grandfather for being so strict and fierce, that he knew what he wanted for the pack. Grandfather never seemed to have any doubts about his rule over the pack and he moved Dallas pack into the 20th century. When Jensen took his place as pack Alpha, he swore to take Dallas pack into the 21st century.

Jensen turned, scenting his father’s presence coming into his bedroom. He turned and smiled at him. “Hey, dad.”

“Son,” Ross said, slipping his arm around Jensen’s shoulders, holding him close. “My God, son…this is the part of pack leadership I never wanted you to have to ever face again in your lifetime.”

Jensen swallowed, looking at him. “Yeah, I know. Me, too.”

“The first time you were shot…” Ross took a deep breath. “I thought I’d never survive worrying – your mother and I nearly went out of our minds. Your Grandfather wanted to slaughter half the pack in punishment.”

“I remember,” Jensen said, nodding. “But I didn’t want that.”

“That was the first time you stood up to him – not as his grandson, but as the Alpha-heir.” Ross said, smiling at him. “I thought about going to him and telling him that I would stand as Alpha-heir in your place…give you a chance at a normal life, shield you from the ugliness of pack politics.”

Jensen never knew that. He turned and leaned against the balcony, looking at his father. “Why did you change your mind?”

“You mean why didn’t I do it?” Ross said, chuckling softly. “Your Grandfather told me that you’d be the stronger pack Alpha. He was right, Jensen.”

Jensen smiled at him and took a deep breath, looking out at the land again. “Dad, I want to bring the Texas packs together and create a unified pack. I know none of the pack leadership ever wanted to talk about unification, but I think it’s time. We’ve become weaker the longer that we’ve broken off into these territorial packs.”

“You’ll face opposition like never before, son,” Ross said, nodding slowly. “And I’m afraid to say it but this won’t be the last assassination attempt on your life.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“But you still believe that’s the right thing to do?”

“Yes,” Jensen said, nodding.

“Grandfather was right – you were formidable at fifteen and you’re formidable at thirty. I can’t wait to see what you’ll be capable of in the next fifteen years – next fifty years.”

Jensen chuckled, taking a deep breath. He tapped his chest. “The artificial heart that I developed…I’ve hypothesized that it can extend life three times the usual lifespan of a werewolf.”

Ross stared at him for a long time, putting his hands on Jensen’s face. “My God, son…your mind astounds me. You know your mother and I are so proud of you.”

“That’s my hope,” Jensen said, smiling. He touched his father’s hands with his own, looking up into his green eyes.

His father must’ve seen something – probably something only a parent would notice. “What is it, Jensen?”

Jensen leaned against the balcony and shook his head. “I’m ready to take a mate.”

“That’s fantastic, son! Who is the lucky werewolf?”

“Jared Padalecki.”

Ross raised his eyebrow. “Hmm…interesting choice. I met him, you know, at the Institute. Morgan tells me that he’s a fine werewolf and has a bit of a reputation.”

“He was living at my house, serving out a six month sentence for attacking a human federal agent during an undercover bust of illegal fight games,” Jensen said, shaking his head.

“Are you sure it’s not just…close quarters?”

Jensen sighed. “Sometimes, I wished it was; it would be easier to ignore how I feel for him.”

“He was very…emotional when I saw him. That kind of emotion is usually reserved for someone that you care deeply about,” Ross said, softly.

“He’s been exiled by the Council, dad, and I have no idea where he is,” Jensen said, looking at the ground.

“Don’t give up. If he feels the same way, he’ll break every werewolf law in order to make his way back to you,” Ross said, putting his hand on Jensen’s shoulder. “That’s a mate worth having, son.”

***

Moonlight Lounge   
Downtown Dallas

Jensen really didn’t want to go out, but he knew that he had to be seen by his pack. He asked Chris to arrange a boys’ night out with Zach, Mike, and Tom. They had drinks at their favorite upscale bar, the BarBelmont at the Belmont Hotel. They went for perfect rare steaks at Sullivan’s of Dallas. Mike wanted ice cream so Tom made them go to Bahama Buck’s. Everywhere they went, Jensen was greeted by pack members and humans alike, wishing him well and happy to see him up and around, looking strong and healthy.

“Best PR idea ever,” Chris murmured, taking a spoonful of something that could induce a chocolate coma. “Much better than doing a press conference. Everyone will spread the word that they saw you out with your buddies, doing what any healthy, red blooded werewolf should be doing.”

Jensen snorted, rolling his eyes as he licked his pistachio ice cream cone.

“You know what would burn through the grapevine? Moonlight Lounge,” Zachary said, watching Chris eat his ice cream concoction.

“Wait…the last time I was there…” He glanced as Mike and Tom who exchanged looks and snickers. “Chris, Morgan and I had a dinner bill there…did you by any chance…”

Chris laughed. “Of course I paid your bill, Alpha. Though Misha really didn’t want to give it to me.” He handed his ice cream to Zachary and pulled out his Blackberry. “I’ll let Misha know we’re coming.”

“Misha Collins…he’s adorable,” Mike said, smirking at Tom. “We should definitely go see Misha.”

Tom raised his eyebrow and then smiled. Jensen really didn’t want to know. But they were right: being seen at Moonlight Lounge would reassure the pack that he wasn’t on his deathbed. The club room was packed, bodies pressed against each other, the scent of lust moving through Jensen like a slow, sensual shockwave of pleasure.

He watched as Mike and Tom lured Misha into their sensual web and Jensen smiled, thinking that the three of them really did look quite beautiful together. Misha looked like he was an innocent, but Jensen could tell that that was a werewolf who enjoyed every indulgence he could get.

Various werewolves and humans came up to him, buying him drinks or giving him their well wishes. He shook their hands and spoke with them for a few minutes, thanking them and reassuring them that he was feeling very good.

Jensen sat back in the booth and watched Chris and Zach pressed close together, dancing slowly with eyes only for each other. He thought that was rather sweet; and it made him long for his own mate.

Jared, where the hell was he? Was he okay?

Jensen slipped out of the booth and walked through the crowded throng, always amazed at the way that everyone made room for him, careful not to touch him. He pushed the doors into the men’s room and walked to a urinal, letting out a silent sigh of relief. He thought about the last time he was at Moonlight Lounge – that night with Jared in one of the stalls. He smiled to himself and quickly finished.

He washed his hands under the sink and caught the scent of something familiar – orange and ginger. He looked up into the mirror to see Jared leaning against the stall, smirking at him.

“There’s a familiar scent,” Jared drawled, his voice low and sensual.

Jensen turned, looking at him. He was scruffy and unshaven, wearing dark clothes and leathers. Jensen tilted his head into the air, inhaling deeply and nosily, keeping his eyes on Jared. He wanted to be sure that he wasn’t dreaming, that he wasn’t a hallucination.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes, Alpha.”

“Jared,” Jensen growled, stalking across the men’s room towards Jared. He grabbed him at the neck and jerked him close, kissing him. He growled, shoving Jared into the stall and slamming the door closed with his hand. He bit at Jared’s mouth, slipping his tongue into the hot, wet cavern of his mouth, sucking on his tongue, tasting him deeply. Jared growled back, pushing Jensen against the other side of the stall wall, both of them moaning loudly. “Missed you. God, are you okay? Are you here?”

“Fuck, you don’t even want to know how I feel…seeing you again, like this, so strong and alive,” Jared said, kissing down his jaw and holding him close.

Jensen grasped his face with his hands, looking into his hazel eyes, seeing the dimples hidden under the scruffy beard. “It’s time for you to come home, Jared.”

“I still have—“

“Be my mate, my Beta.”

 

Part 15: Jared

Ackles Family Manor

Jared wasn’t sure how they made it to Jensen’s family home in one piece. He doesn’t really remember leaving Moonlight Lounge. It was like they just teleported from the men’s room to Jensen’s bedroom. He kicked the door shut with his foot, kissing Jensen and pulling his clothes off of him. He wasn’t thinking coherently – want, love, mine, take, fuck, love, delicious, beautiful, mine, mine, mine.

He knew Jensen was pretty far gone, too. He could hear his clothes rip as Jensen pushed against him, hands clutching him so tightly that Jared wondered if he’d bruise. He liked it, seeing this side to Jensen, no longer so calm and controlled. He was an animal, just like Jared, and that was fine with him.

“Fuck, get – bed now,” Jensen growled at him, nipping at Jared’s collarbone as soon as Jensen could get access to it. “Skin – warm – mine.”

“Yeah,” Jared husked back at him, looking around the room for the bed. He dragged Jensen closer against him, hand tucking down the front of Jensen’s dress pants to feel him heavy and hard against his palm. “So fucking hard.” He squeezed Jensen’s balls and chuckled as Jensen growled, spurring into action.

Jared found himself on Jensen’s bed, looking up at the feral beauty of the werewolf above him. Jensen’s eyes were glowing a shade of green he had never seen before. It was like silver and bright jade. “You’re beautiful.”

“Beautiful wolf,” Jensen said, staring at him. He smirked, leaning down to attack Jared’s mouth, his wet tongue slipping past Jared’s lips and licking across his tongue, flicking his tongue like a cat, teasing him.

Jared wrapped his long arms around Jensen’s back, hands wrapped around his shoulders, pulling Jensen down so that he was pressing his whole weight down on Jared. He wrapped one of his legs behind Jensen’s legs, holding him in place, kissing Jensen back just as frantically, his tongue delving into Jensen’s mouth now, using just the tip to tickle the roof of Jensen’s mouth. He could feel how smooth Jensen’s skin was against his scratchy beard and a part of him liked that he could mark Jensen like this.

Jensen bit at Jared’s tongue and Jared laughed softly, pulling away to look up at him. “You going to fuck me, Alpha?”

“Jesus,” Jensen said, groaning. He stripped them of their remaining clothes and ran his hands down Jared’s chest. “I’ve wanted to do this for such a long time.”

“Come on, we’ve waited enough.”

Jared grinned with his eyes closed, feeling Jensen’s warm hands smoothing down his stomach, both palms sliding down Jared’s cock from the tip to his balls. Jared arched his back, pushing his cock harder into Jensen’s palms, moaning. He licked his lips, panting loudly, and let out a whimper as he felt both of Jensen’s hands wrap around the shaft of his cock, squeezing and pulling hard.

“Oh fuck! Yeah, please,” Jared begged, opening his eyes and looking up at Jensen. “I have to come—“

“Yeah,” Jensen moved down his legs, bending so fast that Jared didn’t immediately connect the vision of Jensen’s mouth wrapped around his cock and sucking hard and the actual feel of Jensen’s hot mouth on him.

Jared grabbed the edge of the mattress, holding tight so that he wouldn’t just ram his cock down Jensen’s throat. He met Jensen’s smug look as his mouth slipped further down until plush lips were at the base. Jared raised his head off the bed, biting down hard on his lip as he felt Jensen swallow, his hot throat squeezing around his cock.

“Damn – so hot – please –“

The vibrations of Jensen’s growl of pleasure made Jared’s stomach flutter and he sucked in a breath, hands grabbing Jensen’s head, trying to pull him off.

“Jen, please – gonna come –“

He didn’t know what Jensen was doing to him. It felt like Jensen’s tongue was three times as long, curling and flicking at his hot spots. Jensen’s hands grabbed his thighs, holding him down. He didn’t think Jensen was even taking a moment to breathe, his mouth like a steamy vacuum, sucking and sucking and sucking him. Jared fisted his hands and fell back against the bed, thrusting his hips as much as Jensen’s hold allowed, feeling his toes curl as a blast of electric pleasure tightened his balls, slinging his body into ecstasy. He howled again, so loud that the windows shook, and came, shuddering and moaning uncontrollably. He heard Jensen’s grunt and felt his throat tightening around the cock head; Jared couldn’t stop himself from arching up against Jensen, feeling the tip of his cock slide further into Jensen’s throat.

Jared was shaking when Jensen pulled off of him.

He watched as Jensen moved up to his knees and moved up so that he was kneeling over Jared’s face, his hand caressing his cock and smiling down at him. “Suck me.”

Damn it, gladly, Jared thought. He wet his lips as Jensen pressed the head of his cock against his bottom lip and then sucked in a hissing breath as he slipped it into Jared’s mouth. Jared moaned, closing his eyes and sucking him in. The taste of Jensen…unbelievable. His scent was stronger here; it reminded him of a hot Texas summer, the way that the lawn smelled after a fresh cutting and a light summer rain – clean and earthy. Jared opened his eyes and looked up at him, his hands on Jensen’s hips, pulling him in closer. He could taste the musky pre-come as he ran his tongue around the head and then relaxed his throat to take him deeper.

“Suck me harder, Jay,” Jensen murmured, moving his cock slow and deep into his mouth, getting it wet with Jared’s spit. Jared arched under him and tilted his head back a little, opening his throat. He breathed hard through his nose and pulled Jensen in, but Jensen just chuckled. “My pace, baby, at my pace. Like this.”

Jared let out another moan, feeling the thick shaft slide over his tongue. He closed his eyes again and kept sucking, tightening his lips around the thickness. He wanted to draw out Jensen’s pleasure, taste his come. Jensen flung his head back, panting loudly, his slow pace quickening unhesitatingly. Yeah, this is what Jared wanted. He jerked Jensen down hard, holding him in place and swallowing hard once and then again, opening his eyes to watch as Jensen struggled not to lose it. He lets his hands slip around Jensen, cupping that plump ass, fingers slipping between the cheeks. His fingertips caressed across the opening and Jensen jerked in his mouth, nearly going too deep before he was ready for it.

“Bad cub,” Jensen said, chuckling softly. He pulled all the way out Jared’s mouth and Jared chased after him with his tongue, lifting his head. Jensen smiled, holding his cock to rub the head along his lips. “Perfect mouth for fucking…but that’s not how I want to come the first time.”

He watched as Jensen reached for the drawer to his bedside table, pulling out a small bottle of lube. Jensen moved back down the bed, kneeing between Jared’s thighs and moving his legs apart as he widened his stance. He flipped the top open with his thumb and squeezed out a handful and Jared watched as Jensen gave him a challenging grin, quirking his eyebrow, as he gripped his own cock and slicked himself.

“Jensen…” Jared said, breathlessly. He bent his knees, moving his legs apart even more to make room for Jensen. “Fuck me—“

“I’ve wanted to do this ever since that night in the men’s room,” Jensen said, kneeing closer towards him, warm palms caressing Jared’s thighs. “Wanted nothing more than to fuck you that night, make you mine.”

Jared groaned, feeling two of Jensen’s lube wet fingers move against his hole, sinking in slowly and deeply. “God, yeah—“

“You’ve been begging for it,” Jensen said, throatily, smirking at him, green eyes shining. “So I’m going to let you beg all you want.”

“Christ—“

Jared started panting again as Jensen grabbed him behind the knees, wrapping his legs behind Jensen’s hips. He grabbed Jared’s shoulder, leaning over him, and Jared raised his hips, looking up at Jensen as he felt the head of Jensen’s cock pressing against him. He breathed in quickly as the thick head nudged him and then pressed into him.

Jensen was a god.

“Fucking tease—“ Jared growled, wrapping his legs around Jensen and pulling his hips against him hard, howling as Jensen’s cock moved into him.

Jensen didn’t give him a second to catch up to him. He pistoned his hips, pounding into Jared; Jensen’s expression was fierce in concentration. Jared wasn’t sure that he was going to get hard again so soon after coming, but he wanted to see Jensen come. He wanted to see Jensen lose himself in pleasure in his body. He squeezed his internal muscles and grinned as Jensen’s hips stuttered, forcing him to press his cock so deeply inside of Jared. Jensen flung his head and arched deeply, letting out a surprised growl.

“I don’t hear any begging,” Jensen said, looking down at him. He adjusted Jared’s legs, lifting his hips a little higher and holding him up with his strength. Jensen started moving again, thrusting slower and deeper, a little swivel and a searching adjustment, and Jared grabbed for the sheets as his body sparked alive with pleasure again. “Yeah, that’ll get you started now.”

“Jensen—“ Jared said, whimpering. He felt his cock starting to harden and he clenched tightly around Jensen’s cock as he stroked into him with a long tease, his cock head slipping against his prostate each time Jensen moved. “Please, Jen—“

Jensen chuckled. “Just like this.”

It had been years since Jared bottomed for anyone and he’d forgotten what it was like to get fucked like this, slow and masterful, just for his pleasure.

“What do I have to do to make you purr for me, Jared?” Jensen said, undulating into him. His fingers slipped down Jared’s chest, gently circling one nipple and then the other. “I bet you make the sweetest little sounds.” He pinched one hard and Jared swallowed down a whine, shifting against the sheets.

“Jen, please, I need more—“

“More?”

“Yes.”

“How much more?”

Jared jerked his hips, trying to make Jensen move faster, but Jensen just chuckled and kept to the same deliberately teasing pace.

“Don’t you want to come inside of me?”

“Yeah,” Jensen said, his fingers slipping down Jared’s belly and tracing invisible patterns down the shaft of Jared’s cock. “You feel good around my cock, Jay.”

“Come on—“

“So good, Jared.”

Jared swallowed as Jensen’s strong hand wrapped around his cock, stroking him with a firm grip. He reached for Jensen’s hips, pulling him down to kiss him. “Please—please—please—please—“

“Mine now,” Jensen said, looking at him. He started thrusting into Jared, no more teasing now. Jared was breathless, feeling his body heat up like a furnace. “My mate, my Beta—“

“Yeah—yeah—fuck—yeah—yeah—ohhhhh God, Jensen, please—“

Jensen grunted, moving faster and faster into him, hand sliding back and forth on his cock, getting them both there. Jared made a sobbing moan, pushing his hips against Jensen, thrusting his cock through Jensen’s grip. His hands tightened on Jensen’s thighs and cried out something that sounded like Jensen’s name as he couldn’t stop it, couldn’t stop the pleasure from overtaking him again, this time even more intense as he felt Jensen’s cock harden and thicken inside of him, rubbing him just the right way, so perfect, so good—good—good—good—

“Yes! Jen! Yes!”

Jared must’ve blacked out for a moment because when he opened his eyes, he saw Jensen throw back his head and let out a howl that was probably heard back in the city. He ran his hands up and down Jensen’s chest, touching him, grounding him through the pleasure. His balls ached in sympathy at Jensen’s pleasure.

“Ah God, Jay!”

He pulled Jensen down against him, holding him. His hands caressed Jensen’s back and he kissed his ear, murmuring words of love. Jensen trembled against him and licked the side of Jared’s sweaty neck and Jared chuckled, tightening his hold around Jensen.

“I love you,” Jensen whispered into his ear.

“I love you back,” Jared said, nipping his earlobe.

Jared closed his eyes, feeling Jensen slip out of him. Jensen fell on his back beside him on the bed, his hand caressing Jared’s belly, fingers rubbing in his come into his skin. Jared grinned, turning his head to look at Jensen’s profile, watching him catch his breath. He was flushed and his pale freckles looked darker. Jared rolled to his side, propping up his head as he rested his hand on Jensen’s chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart against his palm.

“How does it feel…your heart?”

“Strong,” Jensen told him. “When I designed it, I didn’t think that I’d be the first one to have the transplant.”

“Was I wrong…to tell Tom about it – to make that decision for you?”

“You weren’t wrong, you saved my life, Jared and I’m grateful for that, for you,” he said, taking a deep breath. “And I’m glad Tom listened to you.”

“I know he must’ve gotten into a lot of trouble because I begged him to go behind everyone’s back to put the heart inside,” Jared said, rubbing Jensen’s warm skin.

“He did – they all did, everyone who was involved in the surgery – but I didn’t let the Council punish them for long.” He must’ve seen the concern on Jared’s face. “It’s okay; I’m alive because you told Tom about the heart. No one else knew I was working on it,” Jensen said, smiling at him. He drew his fingers across Jared’s forehead, caressing his eyebrow. “I missed you while you were gone. I wasn’t sure if you’d come back to me.”

“When I was exiled, all I thought about was you. I called Mike and Zach all the time to get updates on your recovery,” Jared said, slipping his hand down Jensen’s stomach to cup his softening cock and roll Jensen’s balls gently in his hand. Jensen shivered, letting out a pleased moan. “I didn’t care if the pack didn’t want me; I just wanted you to want me.”

“Need you.”

Jared kissed him, just a soft brush of lips. “When I…when I went after your shooter, I wanted to kill him. I was going to kill him. But I knew that you’d want him to face justice.” Jared shivered and moved closer to Jensen, wrapping his arm around Jensen’s waist. “I cut off his hands,” Jared whispered into Jensen’s ear, afraid to say it aloud. “He begged me not to do it, but I didn’t care. I told him that he tried to kill you and that I was going to let him live without his hands. He was just a kid who got wrapped up in the stupid pack power war. I was just like him, Jensen, just always angry and didn’t care who I hurt. And I chopped his hands—“

“Shhhh…stop, don’t do this to yourself. He could’ve learned to change and adapt; he didn’t have to be their weapon,” Jensen said, running his hand over Jared’s hair.

“I’m not sorry for what I did.”

“He tried to kill a pack Alpha,” Jensen told him, his hand rubbing Jared’s hipbone. “The pack would’ve ripped him to pieces.”

“Yeah.”

Jensen sighed and pulled him closer. “Your pillow talk is depressing.”

Jared laughed, muffling the sound against Jensen’s shoulder.

“And you purred.”

“Howled is more like it. God…I think your dad and sister heard us.”

“I think the whole state heard us,” Jensen said, snorting.

Jared couldn’t stifle his giggle and he flung his leg over Jensen’s thighs, pinning him to the bed and holding him close. “I’m not going to be able to show my face to them.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, my sister thinks I’m vanilla in bed and she bought you books on how to seduce me.”

He laughed even harder, looking at Jensen. “Morgan has a weird fixation on your sex life, dude.”

Jensen laughed and rolled his eyes. “I know. She’s a total brat but I love her.” He kissed Jared again and Jared smiled as Jensen’s hand moved over him, constantly touching him.

“Keep touching me like that and I’m going to want to fuck again,” Jared said, wiggling his eyebrows at him. Jensen snickered, shaking his head.

“You’re such a dork,” Jensen said, giving him a shy smile that Jared thought was adorable.

“It’s why you love me.”

“Hmmm. Stay right there.”

Jared turned to his side and moved up on his elbow, grinning as he watched Jensen getting out of bed, sauntering naked across the room to the roll top desk against the wall. Jared licked his lips as his eyes moved up Jensen’s slender ankles, the way his legs were slightly bowlegged, the toned muscles of his thighs. Miles of smooth, warm skin; he seemed to glow as he walked through the strips of moonlight coming into the bedroom. Jared sighed as he looked at Jensen’s plump ass – just ripe for Jared to give him a bite when he returned to bed.

“What’re you doing? Get your gorgeous ass back over here,” Jared husked out to him.

Jensen smirked, looking over his shoulder, going through a drawer. “I know you’re enjoying the view so what’s the hurry?”

Jared snorted. “And you said I was arrogant!”

“You are arrogant, I’m just exceptionally handsome,” Jensen said, his voice teasing.

Jared snorted and let out a soft chuckle. He couldn’t disagree with that. Jared watched as he pulled out a square flat box, it looked like a jeweler’s velvet box.

Jared smile, biting his lower lip as Jensen turned around, walking back towards the box. Jared rolled to his front, propping his chin on his hands as he took in Jensen’s smirk. His eyes measured Jensen’s chest, down to the lean muscles of his stomach, and to his cock that was starting to thicken under Jared’s eyes. “The view’s even nicer this way.”

Jensen rolled his eyes, barking out a laugh. “Aren’t you a silver-tongued devil?”

“Well, not silver,” Jared said, snickering. “What do you have there?”

Jensen smiled, holding the box out to Jared. He sat up, shifting the bed sheets off his legs and took the box. “It’s for you.”

“Thanks,” Jared said, reaching for the box.

Jensen chuckled. “You’re welcome.”

Jared smiled up at him and opened the box to see a thin filigree platinum chain, a small pendant hanging off the chain. He turned the tab into the moonlight and saw a series of numbers and their initials engraved on it. “It’s dated about a month ago.”

“On the day that I was shot, I was telling Chris that I was going to ask you to be my mate. Chris delivered it from the jewelers the other day and I’ve just been holding it for you,” Jensen said, taking the necklace from the box and holding it in his hands. “I chose that date because that would’ve been the day that I asked you to be mine.”

Jared looked up at Jensen. “Pretty sure that I’d say yes.”

“I hoped you would be mine, Jared.”

Jared nodded. “You know I would’ve said yes if you asked.” He moved up to his knees and placed his hands on Jensen’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss, just a gentle press of his lips against Jensen’s lips. Jared took a deep breath and slithered off the bed.

“Jared Padalecki, will you be my mate?”

“Put it on me.” He dropped as gracefully as he could to his knees in front of Jensen, smiling up at him.

Jensen green eyes glowed, eyelids lowered seductively. Jared licked his lips, letting his eyes drop down Jensen’s chest until he was looking at his cock, hardening under Jared’s gaze. Jared gave a soft growl and raised his eyes, taking a deep breath and scenting Jensen with absolute delight. Jensen inhaled sharply and his voice was raspy when he spoke. “Jared…you don’t have to kneel to accept my collar. Stand up.”

Jared was puzzled and gave Jensen a look, but he got to his feet. “All right.”

“You never have to kneel again,” Jensen said, softly. “The pack kneels before you now, Jared. This is my mating collar, not a prison collar. Of everyone in the pack, only you stand and you stand beside me as my mate and as pack Beta.”

Jared ducked his head as Jensen opened the clasp and wrapped the necklace around his neck, closing the ends. Jared shivered, his stomach fluttering. He looked into Jensen’s eyes, watching them glow. He leaned forward and gave Jensen a hard kiss – they would be gentle later – and wrapped his arms around Jensen and pulled him close, feeling him hard against his thigh.

Jensen ate as his mouth, growls coming from deep in his throat. Jared let out a groan when Jensen ran his mouth along his jaw, one hand grabbing a handful of his hair and pulling his head back. Jared closed his eyes, feeling Jensen’s heated breath against his skin.

“I can smell you,” Jensen purred, his teeth trailing down the side of Jared’s neck. “You smell like oranges and ginger. I love your scent.”

“Bite me, damn it!”

Jensen groaned, sinking his teeth hard into the side of Jared’s neck. Jared howled his delight, not caring that there were werewolves in the house who would hear it, and then whimpered as he nearly came against Jensen’s hip, grinding against him. He shivered, feeling a deep connection to Jensen, nothing he had ever felt before. His legs felt weak and he clung to Jensen, sighing as Jared held him up, that hidden iron strength so alluring to Jared.

He scented his blood in the air and Jensen pushed him back on the bed, crushing him with his weight as they kissed again. He could taste his own blood against Jensen’s lips and he sucked on his tongue. His blood tasted like raw oysters and pennies. “I want you.”

“You think you can take me again, cub?”

Jared growled at him, pushing Jensen on the bed. He sprawled over him, pressing his bigger frame over Jensen, taking his hands and holding him down. He gave Jensen a long look and smirked. “I can take anything you can give.”

Jensen threw back his head and laughed, wrapping his legs around Jared’s thighs and twisting them so that Jared was on his back again, pinned down. “Ohhh, Beta, you have so much to learn yet.”

Jared grinned, excitedly. He raised his eyebrow and tilted his chin. “Well, come on then, Alpha, show me what you got.”

Jensen’s answering howl was an acceptance to his challenge.

***

Jared’s stomach growled and he opened his eyes sleepily and squinted at the sunlight coming into the room. His body was exhausted and his skin still tingled. He lost track of how many times he came, four or seven, every muscle in his body used so deliciously cruel, chasing after utter satisfaction. He turned his head to find Jensen propped up on his side of the bed and reading a thick document. Jared noticed that Jensen was already showered and dressed in softly worn jeans and a polo shirt.

“God, don’t tell me that you’re going to be bringing work into bed all the time,” Jared said, untangling his legs free of soft bed sheets.

Jensen pulled off his glasses and grinned. “I was waiting for you to wake up, big boy.”

“I’m starving,” Jared complained, smiling up at him. “Are you going to give your new mate some food or just keep me fed with non-stop sex and come?”

He thought it was hilarious that Jensen blushed and he reached out to hold Jensen’s hand.

“You’re a brat,” Jensen said, squeezing Jared’s hand in his. “Come on, it’s nearly lunch time. Go shower and get dressed.”

Jared leaned over and kissed Jensen gently on the mouth, licking his bottom lip a little before pulling away. Jensen looked up at him with wide eyes, his pink cheeks bringing out the color of his freckles. He reached up and tweaked Jensen’s nose with his fingers and then laughed as he got out of bed, getting smacked on his ass for his trouble.

“Ooooooo, playing rough already?” Jared said, shaking his ass at Jensen.

“God, go shower right now before I put you over my knee and paddle that ass,” Jensen said, snickering.

Jared took his time enjoying Jensen’s luxurious bathroom. He loved the spa shower and steamed himself for so long that he was pruny by the time he got out, a warm fog enclosed in the large bathroom. He dried off and then wiped the condensation off the mirror to see the necklace around his neck. He smiled, touching it, playing with the small tag pendant. For all intents and purposes, he was married to Jensen now. It was as official as it would ever be, legally binding in any human courtroom or in front of any werewolf. He needed to tell Chad and the girls. He needed to tell his parents.

God, he hadn’t spoken to his parents for so long, he wasn’t even sure how they would handle the news that not only did Jared mate with a werewolf and had fully embraced his werewolf heritage, he had mated with a pack Alpha.

He felt the butterflies returning to his stomach at the thought of his parents not wanting to accept Jensen. He wouldn’t let it get him mad right now, but he had to keep it in the back of his head that his folks weren’t going to be happy about any of this. Sighing, Jared picked up Jensen’s toothbrush and spread toothpaste on it and brushed his teeth happily. He rinsed and wiped his mouth with the towel and hung it up on the rack.

He examined his bearded face, moving it from side to side. He looked at Jensen’s shaving cream and razor. He turned on the taps and pressed out a handful of shaving cream, smoothing it over his cheeks and chin. He hadn’t shaved for a few weeks but he never really had a lot of facial hair so it was easy to move the razor through his short beard, feeling the way that the razor’s edge traced down his skin. In just a few minutes, he was done. He washed his face again, cleaning Jensen’s razor, and dried his face with the towel. Looking good, Padalecki, he thought, grinning at his image. He opened Jensen’s after shave and splashed a little onto his palm, tapping his cheeks and neck, enjoying the burning sensation.

When he left the bathroom, the warm steam followed him out. Jensen looked up and grinned.

“I like it when you’re clean shaven.”

“You just don’t want beard burn against your delicate skin,” Jared said, snickering. He stretched, showing off his lean muscles for Jensen, smiling smugly when he had Jensen’s total attention. “God damn, Jen, I love your bathroom.”

“I can always get a spa shower put into our bathroom at the glass house.”

Jared was pretty sure he could get Jensen to promise to give him anything right about now.

“You’re definitely going to have to get one of those things for us. I am in love with the spa shower.” He picked up the remnants to his clothes, looking at them. “Dude, you tore up everything I was wearing. I can’t go downstairs in any of this.”

“Well, you can’t fit into any of my stuff,” Jensen said, smiling. “Besides, my dad and my sister won’t care that your clothes are ripped up.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “What? Is that like a sign that you turned into an animal and couldn’t resist the call of the wild?”

Jensen gave him a very serious look. “Something like that, yeah.”

“Really?” Jared said and then scowled at him. “Liar!”

Jensen laughed. “It’s only a matter of time when I won’t be able to tease you anymore about werewolf protocol so I’m going to take advantage of it while I can.”

Jared grinned. He pulled on his jeans and his black tee-shirt. The black button down was hopelessly wrinkled and ripped, buttons missing or hanging on by a thread. He picked up his leather jacket and shook it out, draping it over the armchair near the desk. “Come on, dude, feed me.”

He watched as Jensen got off the bed, walking towards him. He placed his hands on Jared’s hips and pressed in close.

“You smell good.” Jensen nuzzled Jared’s neck, licking him. He kissed up to his ear and then rubbed his cheek against Jared’s smooth skin. He kissed Jared again, sucking gently on Jared’s bottom lip. “Smell really good.”

“Jensen…please don’t make me go downstairs to meet your family with a hard on.”

Jensen snickered. “They’d know anyway; it’s not like our scents aren’t in this entire house after last night.”

“Oh God,” Jared moaned, burying his face against Jensen’s neck. “Can we just get lunch delivered to your room?”

“Don’t be rude to the house staff,” Jensen said, patting him on the ass. “Come on. Now I’m hungry and I’m not ashamed that everyone knows you’re marked.”

Jared kissed him on the nose and then giggled. “I’m not either.”

“Good.”

***

Jared couldn’t help looking around at the artwork and sculptures in the hallways. There were portraits that were centuries old, not just of famous werewolves but masterpieces created by non-weres. Jared appreciated art and the value of art, but his art collection was nothing compared to the Ackles collection. On every wall, in every corner, there was something of historical value. He couldn’t get over how important Ackles Manor would be to their pack legacy. “This place is a museum.”

“Seriously,” Jensen said, nodding. “I hated living here; I never felt like I could just sit down and relax, have a beer, read the sports section, you know. Too many servants, too many reminders of what I had to do.”

“The glass house isn’t that much better.”

“Yeah, but I expect that everyone is curious about me as pack Alpha and I didn’t have anything to hide. If they didn’t want to see something, they shouldn’t look into my house. But I wanted that to be my choice.”

He followed Jensen into the small informal dining room. Ross and Morgan were already sitting at the table, eating. They looked up when they came into the room.

“Good afternoon,” Ross said, smiling warmly at them. “Did you have a good night?”

“I bet they did,” Morgan added, giving Jared a sly look.

He held out his hand for Jared, pulling him closer. Jensen flicked her earlobe with his fingers as he walked past her. “Brat. I know it’s not a surprise, but I wanted to make this official. Dad, brat, I want you to meet Jared Padalecki, my mate.”

Ross and Morgan stood up, walking towards them. Ross hugged Jensen first. “I’m happy for you, son. You’ve made a great choice and I wish you all the happiness I had when I mated with your mother.”

“Thanks, dad.”

Morgan attached herself to Jared, looking up at him. “I knew you had it in you.”

Jared blushed, hugging her gently. “Uh, thanks.”

He stood straight as Ross walked towards him, letting him take his measure. He smiled shakily as Ross gave him a hug, too.

“Welcome to the family, Jared. You’ve nothing to prove to me, son. I know you’re going to do everything you can to make my boy happy.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ross chuckled, patting Jared’s back. “The pack will be stronger to have you in it.”

“I hope so.”

Ross grinned again, leading Jared to the table. “We’ve got a great spread here, dig in, help yourself.”

“Thanks,” Jared said smiled happily at Jensen.

***

Jared was flipping through books that were first edition printings from hundreds of years ago. It awed him that Jensen probably read nearly all the books on the shelves. It would be something that Victor Ackles would’ve demanded from his Alpha-heir. There was a discreet knock on the door.

“Come in,” Jensen called, standing up. Jared turned to see Chris walk into the room. “Hey, thanks for coming by.”

Chris blinked, his mouth parting slightly as a wide smile broke across his face. “I’m so happy for the both of you. Please accept my congratulations.”

“Thanks, Chris, that means a lot to me,” Jensen said, turning to look at Jared.

Jared walked towards them and shook Chris’s hand. “Thanks, man.”

“We’ll need to make a formal announcement,” Chris said, moving into the room. “I’m going to assume that’s why you asked me over when you know we’re all pretty hung over from last night.”

Jensen laughed, gazing at Jared. “We have to do the presentation to the pack.”

“Presentation?”

“It’s just a formal ceremony introducing you to the whole Dallas pack as Jensen’s mate and as pack Beta,” Chris said, smiling up at him. “I can book the new Cowboys Stadium. That should be large enough to hold the pack.”

“Don’t forget to invite our non-were friends and allies.”

“Of course,” Chris said, making quick notes in his notebook. “We’ll have a press release sent to all of the major media outlets.”

“Please send the news of my mating to the Texas pack Alphas and invite them and their Were Councils, too.”

“Yeah, that’s good. A mating ceremony might be able to smooth over any bitterness or stress between all the packs,” Chris said, nodding.

Jared sat down, swallowing thickly. “To the whole pack?”

“Well, you are pack Beta,” Jensen said, smiling at him. “They need to remember your scent and accept you as their Beta.”

“What if they don’t?”

Chris laughed. “Are you kidding? The whole pack will be ecstatic to know that our Alpha has finally taken a mate.”

“Have you thought about contacting your parents?” Jensen said, looking at him. “I mean, if they didn’t want you to know your werewolf heritage, how would they feel to having me as part of the family?”

Jared nodded, picking at a rip on his jeans. “I know…it makes me kind of nervous to think about it but…they are my parents and I need to tell them.”

“I would be honored to meet your parents, Jay.”

“I know…I mean, it’s not you…it’s not even me, it’s just…” Jared sighed, sitting back on the sofa. “What if they…”

“Call them,” Jensen said, softly. “At least tell them and if their reaction isn’t favorable…you did your duty.”

Jared knew he was right and he nodded, his smile pained. “Soon. I promise.”

Chris tapped his pen on his notebook. “I’ll make sure to give you a copy of the pack protocols, especially your role as pack Beta.”

“Yeah, that’ll be great,” Jared said, nodding. “That kind of freaks me out a little, but I can handle whatever needs to be done.”

“Excellent,” Chris said, smiling at him. He closed his notebook and stood up, looking at Jensen and then at Jared. “I know you’re in your honeymoon stage right now so I won’t stay long. I can take care of all the other things that require communicating to the public – set up an appointment with the Ackles family lawyers to make sure that Jared can access all of the Ackles estates and assets.”

“Yeah, that’ll be great, Chris. Thanks for coming,” Jensen said, shaking his hand and leading him towards the door.

Jared just chuckled, watching as Chris was basically hurried out the door. “Bye Chris!”

“See you guys later—“

Jared laughed as Jensen pushed Chris out of the library and closed the door on him. “Dude, that was just…”

“Chris understands,” Jensen said, smiling at him. He prowled across the room to Jared and fell on the sofa beside him, pressing his chest against him. “Now…I think it’s time for a little afternoon delight.”

“Cheesey, Jen, cheesey,” Jared said, rolling his eyes. He lifted his face and enjoyed the gentle kiss on his mouth, tangling his tongue against Jensen’s in a leisurely exploration of tastes and sensations. He looked at his mate and shivered at how great that sounded. It almost made him want to keep his mouth shut, but he had to tell Jensen now rather than later.

“What is it?” Jensen said, stroking his forehead. “You’re worried about something.”

“Yeah,” Jared said, nodding. “I’ve been hunting the two Alphas who sanctioned your assassination. I have weres that I’ve known for years working on leads to where the Alphas could’ve gone. I didn’t think that…I came to Moonlight last night because Mike called to tell me that you would be out. I just wanted to see you, make sure that you were alive and well like everyone said, and then get back out there to hunt the Alphas. I never expected that you’d want me; that you’d ask me to be your mate and Beta. I love you, Jensen, but I…I have to finish what I started.”

“You want to leave?”

“No, I don’t want to leave, but I have to finish it. What will the pack think if I can’t even finish something this important?”

“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” Jensen said, his face concerned and worried. “I won’t stop you, but I can’t protect you if you’re off on your own.”

Jared grinned at him. “I am a big wolf.”

“I know,” Jensen purred, licking his neck and making Jared laugh.

“I want to be worthy of being pack Beta; to being your equal in the pack. I want to be able to help you and be strong,” Jared told him, taking a deep breath. “Strong for the pack.”

He watched Jensen carefully, wondering what was going on behind those beautiful green eyes. He knew Jensen would worry and be sad – Jared was sad to even think about being apart from him – but they both now understood their duties to the pack with clarity.

“I know…I know,” Jensen whispered, kissing him again. “I hate to let you go, but I know you need to do this for yourself. Just…give me a few more days – a week – before you return to your hunt. I want to spend more time with you. And promise me that you’ll come home during your hunt, if anything just to be with me.”

“Yes, always,” he said, looking at Jensen. “I promise.”

***

Jared stared at his cell phone, the familiar number highlighted on the small screen. He sighed, his thumb hovering over the ‘send’ button. He spent hours debating whether or not to make the call. He wanted his parents to be happy for him. He really wanted them to meet Jensen and see what a great guy he mated. He didn’t want his parents to dislike Jensen for being a werewolf; for mating with his kind. He knew how they felt about their werewolf heritage – there was a part of him that was very angry that they denied him his heritage and never gave him the choice – but they were his parents and he just wanted…

Don’t be such a pussy, Jared said to himself, just call them.

He pressed the button and pressed the cell phone to his ear, closing his eyes, listening to the ring tone. He could hear his heart beating hard against his chest; and he held his breath waiting for someone to pick up the phone.

“Hello, Padalecki residence, may I help you.”

He grinned. “Momma. It’s me, Jared.”

“JT!” His mom’s lilting voice came across strong and happy. “Now, why have you taken so long to call your momma, young man?”

He chuckled, feeling warm from hearing her voice. “I’m sorry, momma.” He cleared his throat. Here goes nothing…everything. “I have something to tell you. It’s important.”

“All right, JT, I’m listening.”

Jared bit his lip and took a deep breath. “I’ve mated, momma.”

“Mated? You mean with a werewolf?”

“Yeah,” Jared said, his hand tapping on his knee. “I, uh – “

“Really? Oh honey, I’m so happy for you,” his mom said, giddily. “Lord, when did this happen? When can we meet your mate?”

“You’re…you’re not upset?”

“No, why would I be upset? Hold on, dear, I’ve got to tell your father.”

Jared heard his mother’s voice calling for his dad to pick up the other telephone in the house. He heard a distinct click and his father’s deep voice through the connection.

“Son, is that you?”

“Hi, dad.”

“So why is your momma so excited? She’s turning bright red like a tomato.”

“Grant Allen Padalecki, I am not!”

“Sharlene, what is going on with you, hon?” His dad said, laughing softly. “Hey, son, your momma’s really in a tizzy.”

Jared laughed, happy to hear his parents. “I love you. You guys haven’t changed.”

“Your son has something to tell us. Go ahead, JT.”

Jared took a deep breath again. “Dad. Momma. I’m mated.”

“With a werewolf?” His dad said, surprised. “Well, congratulations, son! Time to break out the champagne and celebrate! When do we get to meet the lucky wolf?”

“They’re probably still in the honeymoon phase,” his mom said, giggling. “You know how we were when we mated.”

Grant started chuckling affectionately. “Oh yeah, I remember, you were like a wildcat…”

Jared shook his head, blushing. “Guys!”

“Well, come on son; tell us all about your new mate! Don’t keep it a state secret. It’s not a secret, is it?” His dad said, his amusement suddenly sounding very serious. “You know we’ll love whoever you mated or married, right son?”

“Yeah,” Jared croaked, clearing his throat. Obviously, he didn’t, but he wasn’t going to open that conversation. “Yes, dad. He’s great. I know you’ll really love him. His name’s Jensen Ackles and—“

“My goodness, you mated with the Dallas pack Alpha?” His mom whispered, slowly enunciating each word. “A pack Alpha?”

“The Dallas Alpha!” His dad said, laughing delightedly. “Son, you done caught yourself a good wolf! Well, bring him home so we can meet him properly!”

“Yeah, that’s the thing. We’d like for you to come to Dallas. Since Jensen’s a pack Alpha, we have to do a presentation to the whole pack because I’m his Beta and that makes me the Dallas pack Beta,” Jared said, really taken aback by his parents’ easy acceptance. He was…he didn’t want to be surprised by how easily they accepted his mating because he wanted to believe that they would’ve always been supportive. He didn’t want them to think he had doubts about them and felt terribly guilty that he hadn’t trusted them. He was glad and relieved that they were genuinely happy for him.

“Of course, JT, we’d never miss that,” his mom said, sounding weepy.

“Are you crying?” He laughed, but he kind of wanted to cry, too.

“Oh Jared…I’m your momma, I’m allowed to be happy that my boy mated,” she mumbled, sniffling.

“Come on, hon,” his dad said to his mom, chuckling. “She’s all blubbering like a sink.”

“Oh hush,” she said. Jared heard his parents giggling and murmuring to each other.

Jared grinned, fingering the tear on his shirt. “I’m really glad that you’re happy. I mean, I wasn’t sure if you’d accept that I mated with a werewolf, you know…I’m sorry that I doubted you.”

“Oh no, oh no JT, don’t be sorry, not about this,” his mom said, taking a deep breath. “Your father and I love you and we only ever wanted you to be happy and safe, that’s all.”

“Thanks,” Jared said and then let out a chuckle of his own. “Yeah…I’m mated…I’m pretty damn happy, momma.”

“Language,” she said, and then chuckled affectionately. “We’re so glad, JT. Now, when do you want us to come over to Dallas? You know, I’ve seen pictures of him. He’s such a handsome boy and to think he’s such a young pack Alpha and a scientist, too—oh, Lord, how is he? We heard here in San Antonio that the Dallas Alpha was shot.“

“He’s okay, momma,” Jared told them. “He’s made a full recovery.”

“Son, you watch out for him,” his dad said, softly. “It’s not going to be easy to be in the spotlight as pack Beta, but we have faith in you.”

Jared blushed, scratching his head and smiling widely. “Thanks, guys.”

“Oh yes, you take good care of your mate, JT,” Sharlene piped in. “And if anything happens to you boys, well, your father and I will…we’ll do something.”

Jared laughed, listening to his parents ramble on, talking over each other and laughing with him as he talked about Jensen and helped them make their travel plans to visit him at the manor.

***

Chad, Sandy, Sophia, and Kristen stared at Jensen. Jared watched as Jensen flushed at their attention, looking over at Jared for help. Chad was trying to be polite as he scented the room – scented Jensen – and the girls were giving off vibes like hyenas: all toothy smiles, girly giggles, and glinting eyes. They never had such access to the Alpha; and they were trying really hard to be discreet about scenting Jensen in close quarters. No doubt that they’d be able to scent Jared’s marking scent on Jensen; and Jensen’s marking scent on Jared. He was pretty sure that the whole house reeked of their mating. He was glad that Jensen’s dad finally sent Morgan back to her condo after she “caught” them – more like watched them – kissing and getting frisky in an alcove on the second floor balcony.

Kristen made a purring noise and the girls hummed in agreement, looking at Jensen like he was the last piece of cake that they all wanted. Jensen shifted uncomfortably on the sofa, clearing his throat and looking at Jared with wide eyes.

Jared smiled. “Cut it out, guys, you’re making my mate blush.”

“Damn, Jay, who would’ve thought you and the Alpha would get together,” Chad said, smirking at him.

“You know we’re ecstatic for you, right?” Sandy said, trying her best to hide her giddiness. She was practically bouncing on the sofa cushion.

Jared nodded. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

“To both of us,” Jensen added, grinning at Jared. God, Jared could kiss him and roll around on the carpet with him for that.

Jensen caught his pheromones and gave him a meaningful look to cut it out and Jared couldn’t help smiling at him.

Chad kicked him in the shin. “Dude! We’re right here!”

“Awww…Jared’s got the dimples working overtime,” Kristen mock whispered, giggling with Sandy.

“I thought your house arrest was supposed to make you control your instincts?”

“Come on, Chad, he’s in the honeymoon stage. He’s not going to be able to control a thing,” Sandy said, raising her eyes and biting her lip.

“I hate all of you,” Jared muttered, making a face at them as Jensen laughed softly beside him.

“Pack Beta, huh?” Sophia murmured, gazing at him. She raised her eyebrow and grinned. “Does that mean you’re going on the straight and narrow now?”

Jensen snorted, shaking his head.

“What?” Jared said, looking over at him.

“Nothing,” Jensen said, snickering.

“I am totally going to be an awesome pack Beta,” he told them, sticking out his chest. For a second, he considered thumping his chest with his fists but thought that might be too over-the-top.

Chad looked like he had something to say and kept glancing over at Jensen.

Kristen stood up and walked over to Jensen, holding out her hand and smiling at him. “Come on, Alpha, take us on a tour of your beautiful family home.”

Jensen stood and tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. “All right, ladies, I’ll give you a look around.”

“More like snoop around,” Chad called, smiling at them. “Don’t let them out of your sight, Alpha.”

Sophia smacked him on his forehead as she walked past, making Jensen, Sandy and Kristen laugh.

Jared nodded his thanks as he watched Jensen take the girls out of the library. He turned to look at his best friend. “You all right?”

“Yeah,” Chad said, nodding. “I’m real happy for you, Jay.”

“But…”

“No, I mean…are you sure everything is okay with the two of you now?” Chad said, quizzically. “He’s treating you right and you two are going to be okay?”

“I love him, Chad,” Jared said, smiling gently. “And he loves me, too.”

“Lots of things could still go wrong; being in love doesn’t always solve problems.”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding quickly. “I know, Jensen and I, we still have a long ways to go. Right now, we’re just happy to be with each other. I still have a lot to learn about the pack and being pack Beta. But I’m willing to do it.”

“What about going after those two Alphas who put the hit out on the Alpha?”

“Yeah…after the presentation ceremony, I’m going to get back on the hunt and track them down,” Jared said, sighing deeply. “I don’t want to leave him now, but I have to finish this. And if I don’t leave now, I’ll never want to leave.”

“Because you’re the pack Beta.”

“Because I’m Jensen’s mate.”

Chad nodded, thoughtfully. “I think you’ll be a kick ass pack Beta, Jay. I’d follow you to Hell and back if you asked.”

“Thanks,” he said, blushing and scratching his head. “You’re my best friend, dude; that means a lot to me.”

“But I still get to kick the Alpha’s ass if he hurts you.”

“I’ll put three to one odds on that game.” Jared laughed, shaking his head. “He’ll never hurt me; and dude, Jensen’ll cut your throat if you tried to take him on.”

Chad made a face and frowned. “You know what I mean.”

Jared knew instinctively that Jensen would do anything for him and it put him in a position of power like no other in the pack. He gave Chad a thoughtful look and said, “yeah…yeah, I do.”

 

***

Jared was bouncing with nervous energy when his momma called him from her cell phone, letting him know that they were on their way to the house. Jensen distracted him with blow jobs and sex…multiple times. It worked, but as soon as Jared came down off his pleasure high, he was jittery and nervous again.

“What is going on with you?” Jensen murmured, sprawled out on his back as he tilted back his head to look at Jared.

“I’m just…I haven’t seen my parents in a couple of years,” he said, shrugging.

“But you said that they sounded really happy for us when you talked to them on the phone,” Jensen said, rolling on his side to face Jared, tucking an arm under his head. “You think they didn’t mean it?”

“Nah…my parents can’t lie like that,” he murmured, moving to his side to run his hand over Jensen’s damp chest, his fingers slipping over the fading surgical scar. He was glad to see the scar nearly gone; that his werewolf constitution was healing his body. He tucked in closer and pressed his lips against Jensen’s neck, taking a deep breath and loving the way that Jensen smelled, and licked him slowly.

Jensen let out a purr and then laughed, turning to capture his lips in a long kiss. “We have to shower and get dressed. They should be here soon.”

“I don’t want to now,” Jared said, moving closer to Jensen, his hand tucked over Jensen’s hip, caressing the plump part of his ass with his fingers. “Your dad will entertain them for a little while.”

He watched as Jensen laughed; green eyes bright as he looked up at Jared. “Okay, this is the first time I’m going to meet your folks. I’d like to make a good first impression if you don’t mind.”

“Don’t tell me that you’re nervous. You. The pack Alpha.”

“They’re your parents, of course I’m nervous.”

Jared felt his body flush with bliss. He rolled Jensen on his back and moved over him, his cock firming as it slid across Jensen’s warm thigh. He could feel Jensen’s cock hardening in response and he smirked down at his mate. “Awww…that’s sweet, pretty boy.”

“Shut up and get off me, Sasquatch,” Jensen said, jokingly. He maneuvered Jared to his side and took a deep breath, rolling up to sit on the edge of the bed. He turned to look at Jared over his shoulder, giving him a ‘come fuck me look’. “You going to join me in the shower?”

Jared licked his lips, watching as Jensen stood up, his eyes lingering all over Jensen’s body – bitable plump ass, long and slightly bowed legs, smooth skin everywhere, fucking gorgeous. He wasn’t sure if it was just his instinct to lust after his mate or if Jensen was just that perfect…well, perfect for Jared because no one else would have a chance to find out. Jared was sure that he’d kill to keep his mate away from someone who thought they could have Jensen. He watched as Jensen gave him another come-hither leer over his shoulder. There were things that he was going to do to his mate. He gave a little growl as he threw off the covers and chased after Jensen into the bathroom; Jensen’s startled laughter echoing in the bathroom as Jared kicked the door closed with his foot.

***

Jared watched as his momma pulled Jensen down into a tight hug, keeping him close and stroking his head with her hand. She whispered how happy she was to meet him and that she hoped their mating would be long and marvelous. She came up to his chest so Jensen had to bend over a little – Jared couldn’t help but to check out Jensen’s beautiful ass – but his momma was a strong lady and she could give a hug like no other. He watched as Jensen closed his eyes and just enjoyed it, tucking his nose against her neck and remembering her scent. Grant gave him a hug, too, with manly pats on the back and words of encouragement for him, welcoming him to the family. Jensen blushed as he smiled, chattering unabashedly with both of them. Jared loved the way that Jensen’s face flushed, the smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks standing out against his pinked skin, and the way his eyes glowed with content and ease.

Ross Ackles welcomed Sharlene and Grant Padalecki like old friends, taking an instant liking to each other. She gave him a hug, too, while he and Grant shook hands. He gave them a tour of the house. Jared held Jensen’s hand as they followed them down the hallways. He couldn’t stop touching Jensen – his hand on Jensen’s shoulder, an arm looped around his neck, his hand sliding down Jensen’s back to slip over that ass (which earned him a smirk from Jensen). Sharlene loved antiques and found in Ross a kindred spirit and Grant was fascinated by all the werewolf artifacts that the Ackles family had collected over several lifetimes. Jared exchanged small grins with Jensen, brushing close to him, flirting shyly. They both blushed under Sharlene’s knowing smiles whenever she turned to look at them.

He loved that the Ackles family wasn’t pretentious or overly formal. Jensen and his dad were generous and genuinely happy to have them stay for a few days while they prepared for the official presentation to the pack. Morgan would come by later in the evening for dinner to meet his parents. Jared could only hope that the girl would behave and he once murmured to Jensen that if she got out of line, he’d turn her over his knee and give her a spanking. Jensen snickered and said that he was welcomed to try, that Morgan was born a little hellion and would probably go down fighting like a little hellion.

“I love your parents,” Jensen murmured, stroking his hand down Jared’s back. He snuggled closer to Jensen in their bed, sated and warm. “Your momma reminds me of mine.”

“I don’t mind sharing her with you,” he said, nuzzling the side of Jensen’s neck. “She’ll like having another son.”

Jensen made a soft gasping noise and Jared gave him a hug, squeezing tight until Jensen let out a hoarse chuckle, hitting him on his back to release him.

“Love you.”

Jared swallowed past the tightness in his throat, nodding with barely contained emotion. “Love you, too.”

Jensen smiled at him, rubbing his hand over Jared’s naked back. “You nervous about tomorrow?”

“Well, yeah, because like the whole state is going to be at the stadium,” Jared said, barking out a nervous laugh. “What if—“

“Shhh…there’s no what if about this, Jay,” he said, smiling. Jared grinned at the nickname and bit his bottom lip. “The pack wants me to mate and be happy. I’m older than most pack Alphas to take a mate, you know. No one is going to say a bad thing about us being together.”

“What about the Council?”

Jensen gave him a quizzical look. “What about them? They’re pack, they want the same things.”

“They exiled me.”

“They didn’t know that I was going to ask you to be my mine,” Jensen said, softly. “When I woke up after the surgery, I had them all come in front of me to account for what had happened. I let them know that I was very displeased with their actions, but I didn’t punish them because they didn’t know and they were following my rules about removing your prison collar.” Jared watched as Jensen’s fingers traced the mating collar that Jared wore. “I like seeing this on you, you know. It keeps me grounded; and I like that everyone knows you’re mine.”

“Yeah,” Jared said, nodding. “I like it, too.” He grabbed Jensen’s hand. “I’ve been thinking about giving you a ring for you to wear.”

Jensen’s smile was brilliant in the dim room. “Yeah?”

“I want everyone to see that you’re mine, too.”

“Yeah,” he murmured, pressing closer to kiss Jared slowly, the tip of his tongue gently moving along his lips, letting Jared suck on it.

“So they’re all okay with us being together now?”

Jensen grinned. “Of course they are. Plus, do you think they’d go against me? I don’t wear my pack status on my shoulder, Jared, but I’m still the pack’s Alpha. My word is law and they agreed for me to be their Alpha. I hand selected every Elder on the Council because they were tolerant, compassionate and strong. I know I don’t have to wield my power heavy handedly, and I know that you as pack Beta, you wouldn’t abuse your power either. But if push comes to shove, I have final say in all things related to the pack.”

Jared was so fucking turned on. He let out a little whimper and started panting.

“God, you’re so hard,” Jensen murmured, his thigh pressing against Jared’s throbbing cock. “That turn you on, baby?”

“Fuck yeah,” Jared whispered, licking his lips. “I kind of like it when you get all Alpha like that.”

Jensen chuckled deeply as his hand slipped down Jared’s belly, wrapping firmly around Jared’s cock and stroking him teasingly. Jared gasped, squirming closer towards Jensen, letting out a pathetic mewl for more.

“You’re adorable like this, all kittenish,” Jensen said, amused.

“Don’t tease me, Alpha.”

Jensen moved in with a fierce kiss, pressing Jared on his back. He watched as Jensen slid over him, knees pushing apart Jared’s thighs, both of them wiggling to find that perfect position. Jared sighed into the kiss, licking after his lips as Jensen pulled away to look at him.

“You said you didn’t want to with your parents in the house but—“

“Fuck me.”

Jensen snickered, reaching for the lube in the bedside drawer. “Ohhh, Jay…I’m going to make you fucking howl so loud, you won’t be able to look anyone in the eye in the morning.”

God, he hoped so.

***

The Cowboys Stadium  
Arlington, Texas

Jared looked out into the stadium from the field level glass enclosed room at the 50-yard line. He loved the retractable ceiling, which was wide open and a stream of sunlight came into the stadium like a light from God. The stadium could seat 80,000 people but they received special permission to have floor seating for VIP guests, family, and friends. There was a lottery for the rest of the Texas pack to get the remaining 50,000 seats on the field. The stadium was known for being the third largest in the country and Jared couldn’t help but drool at the high-def screen that stretched from 20-yard line to 20-yard line. He thought of how awesome it would be to play Madden on that screen.

“What’re you snickering about?” Jensen said, standing next to him.

“Playing videogames on that screen up there.” He said, turning to look at his mate.

Jensen looked gorgeous in his dark suit and dark green necktie. They decided against going too formal, wanting to just keep it comfortable. He saw the way Jensen’s eyes moved over him, checking him out. Jared always wanted to just stick out his chest whenever he caught Jensen’s appreciative gaze on him.

Jensen quirked an eyebrow. “You know, I could always rent the stadium for the night and we could.”

“Seriously?”

“Dude, I’m pack Alpha and you’re pack Beta.” Jensen said, reaching up to straighten Jared’s necktie, smoothing down the front of his jacket. Jared chuckled, giving Jensen a look. He knew that Jensen wanted to feel him up.

“Right.” Jared drawled, grinning. He reached for Jensen’s hand and held it tightly. “That’s a lot of people and werewolves, Jensen. You feel safe enough to go out there?”

“Yeah,” Jensen said, nodding. “Our pack won’t let either of us get hurt, not today of all days.”

Jared nodded, taking a deep breath. “I’m ready to do this, in front of the pack, the city, our family and friends.”

“So am I,” Jensen murmured, stepping closer to him with a calculated smile. “And then we’ll go back to the glass house and…”

Jared giggled. “And?”

“And…I’ll have you any way I want.”

“Yeah,” Jared whispered, his eyes widening with want. “Yeah, please.”

Jensen smirked and gave a little growl.

“We’re ready, gentlemen,” Chris said, hiding his smile.

“Thanks, Chris,” Jensen said, nodding to him. “Well, come on, what’re we waiting for?”

Jared leaned down and kissed his cheek, feeling his heart stuttering and slamming in his chest. He swallowed and took a deep breath. “Okay.”

Zachary and Chris opened the doors and Jared stepped out onto the field with Jensen, clutching his hand desperately. He could feel himself starting to sweat, his body vibrating from the way that the pack acknowledged them. They all stood and a heavy silence filled the stadium. Jared closed his eyes, hearing the heartbeats of the pack drumming through him. It was amazing and overwhelming, like he was hearing the pack’s heart beat as one. His blood churned through his body, his ears popping from the feeling.

He followed Jensen to the center podium. The huge screen above them showed their walk out onto the field. A part of Jared wanted to just raise his hands in the air and scream “yeah, yeah, yeah”. He blushed as Jensen turned to look at him, squeezing his hand. You ready?

Jared nodded. He was ready.

Jensen released his hand and turned to look out at the pack. “Thank you all for being here on this special day. By now, you’ve heard that I’ve mated with Jared Tristan Padalecki. He’s my Beta and he’s my best friend. Most of you know him or know of him, but I wanted to introduce him to you.”

Jared looked around and smiled when he saw his parents. He nodded to Ross and gave a smile to Morgan. Chad and the girls were seated next to his momma. He saw the council Elders. He saw familiar faces, he saw strangers who would be his family – werewolves and humans that he would protect with his life.

And he saw Jensen: confident without being arrogant, proud without being overbearing. He was the very essence of what a pack Alpha should be: strong, calm, in control. Jensen was talking but Jared didn’t hear the words. He felt Jensen’s presence and his scent was strong in his nose.

“Will you promise to protect the pack Beta?” Jensen asked the pack.

“We promise.”

Jared nearly stumbled backwards at the sound that the pack made as one. His eyes widened and he held his breath for a few moments, trying to keep his footing and not keel over at the strength that came from the pack.

“Will you promise to honor him and be loyal to him in times of profit and poverty?”

“We promise.”

“Will you promise to obey his word as if it is my will?”

“We promise.”

Jensen smiled widely. “Thank you. You honor me with your promise to love my mate.” He turned to look at Jared and stood in front of him. “Do you promise to protect the pack?”

“I promise,” Jared whispered; he knew that everyone would hear him in the stadium.

“Do you promise to be strong for the pack in times of profit and poverty?”

“I promise.”

“Do you promise to command the pack in honor of me?”

“I promise,” he said, gazing into Jensen’s bright green eyes.

Jensen nodded, moving closer to give him a soft kiss. Jared blushed as a sigh seemed to move through the stadium. He turned to look back at the pack. “I give you permission to know my mate’s scent.”

Jared bit his tongue, his blush deepening as he heard every werewolf inhaling deeply. He couldn’t believe that they would all know him by his scent now. There was nothing that could prepare someone to be scented like this – knowing him in a way that only Jensen knew him.

A silence fell in the stadium and Jared let out the breath that he was holding. He grinned, feeling shy and very vulnerable. Jensen took his hand and stood beside him, looking out at the pack.

Like a wave, Jared watched as every werewolf and human in the stadium moved down to one knee, gazing up at them. He swallowed thickly at the sight. Jensen promised him that he would never have to kneel again, that of all the werewolves in the pack, only Jared stood beside the Alpha. It was amazing to see the pack’s trust in him, that they would kneel down and honor him. He felt small and unworthy of it; but he knew that he would spend every day of his life to make sure that he would earn their respect and love, even though it was freely given.

Jensen nudged Jared. “Say something to acknowledge them.”

“Oh,” Jared said and then smiling beatifically. “Thank you, everyone. I promise to do my best for the pack and to always be by Jensen’s side.”

The applause turned into cheers and whistles so loud that Jared ducked his head, nearly curling up against Jensen from the shock of the noise. Jensen laughed, holding him close, patting him on the back.

“Oh my God!” Jared screamed, looking around. He laughed and waved his hands in the air. The pack returned with laughter of their own, shouts of “welcome Beta” and “we follow you Beta” and other things that Jared couldn’t make out from the sounds around them.

Chris led Jensen and Jared back into the waiting room off the field. Jared grabbed Jensen’s hand and waved up at everyone. It was kind of crazy and it was a little intimidating, but he loved that they approved and were happy for them. They walked into the room and they looked at Chris, who was smiling at them.

“Let me be the first to congratulate you, Jared, and to tell you that if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call on me,” Chris said, holding out his hand.

Jared shook it, nodding. “Thank you, Chris.”

“I’ll give you a few moments to relax. We’ll make sure that everyone leaves in a safe and orderly manner. Your family and friends will meet you back at the manor house,” Chris said, softly. “Zach’s grabbed Tom and Mike to check on the glass house and to make sure that you have enough food and supplies to last you for a few days.”

“Thanks. We appreciate that,” Jensen said, shaking his hand and patting him on the back. He closed the door as Chris left the room. He walked around, lowering the venetian blinds so that the glass room was enclosed in privacy.

Jared smiled at him, trembling. “That was…wow…I don’t have any words to describe it.”

“Yeah,” Jensen said, chuckling softly. “When Grandfather presented me to the pack, I was so nervous and so shy…it’s life changing, Jared.”

He could only nod. He swallowed back his emotions as Jensen walked slowly towards him. He caught the look in Jensen’s eyes and he smiled, lifting his chin in challenge.

“Something on your mind, Alpha?”

“Oh yes, Beta, I think we need to solidify our relationship.”

Jared licked his lips. “Is that what it’s called?”

“Come here and kiss me.”

 

Part 14: Jensen  
The Glass House   
Jensen’s and Jared’s Residence  
“Fuck, Jensen, please—“   
“Shhh…” Jensen murmured, smirking down at Jared, watching him flush a dark red, sweat beading on his forehead and his bangs sticking to his skin. Even with his face scrunched up in sexual frustration, his mate was beautiful. “Don’t come yet.”   
He swiveled his hips slowly, gritting his teeth and swallowing the pleasure of being so deep inside Jared, feeling him gripping his cock like a hot, tight fist. Jensen let out a moan, breathing deeply and trying to stay in control.   
Jared sucked in a loud breath, hips jerking up against him. “Please…”   
“Not yet,” Jensen said, growling at Jared in warning. “Stay loose.”   
“Fuck! How?”   
Jensen tightened his grip on Jared’s wrists, pinning his arms over his head. He licked his lips and grinned down at Jared’s pained expression, large eyes staring up at him, pupils blown to black. “Patience, Beta.”   
“Alpha. Please, please!” Jared whimpered; his long legs curled around Jensen’s hips, trying to get Jensen to move. “Jen—“   
“Not yet. I want to let this last.”   
“Torturing me…”   
“Only with pleasure.” Jensen sighed and moved down to kiss him, tasting the saltiness of Jared’s sweat. He caressed Jared’s tongue sweetly with his, sucking in that bottom lip hard enough to draw blood to just under the skin. Jared blinked up at him, eyelids fluttering. Jensen licked his cheek, tasting damp skin and an overload of pheromones. “Yum.”   
“I need you…need to come.”   
It was true; he had taken Jared right to the edge a dozen times already and then stopped, keeping Jared from coming. He pressed his belly down firmly on Jared’s cock, thick and juicy with pre-come against their skin, twitching and flexing between them.   
“Soon,” Jensen said, closing his eyes and shuddering when Jared moaned out a pitiful whine. “I promise it’s going to be so good when you come. It’ll be so good; you’ll remember it when you’re alone, when you’re hunting, missing me so much, missing this.”   
“I will! I promise…I just want to now…please…” Jared shuddered, letting out a soft cry.   
He gave a hard thrust, groaning as his cock slipped through the gripping friction of Jared’s channel. Jared squirmed and hissed out a breath through his teeth, his cock sliding up Jensen’s flat belly. He let out a sound that was part pain and part ecstasy. His eyes rolled back, panting quickly. Jensen pinned him down again, keeping him pressed still against the bed.   
“That felt good, didn’t it?”   
“Yeah—“   
“Hit your prostate just right—“   
“Shit. Yeah, Jen, do it again—“   
“I like you like this – all needy and out of control and greedy for it.”   
Jared’s head twisted on the pillow from side to side, nonsensical words escaping his mouth that Jensen didn’t even try to decipher them anymore. “Yeah, please, Jen…yeah, please, more…more, please, more…”   
Jensen chuckled darkly and kissed his neck, licking hot and musky skin. “All mine now. Mine to do whatever I want.”   
“Then fuck me—“   
“Make you beg…but now, I just want to remember how you feel, just like this,” Jensen said, rocking gently over Jared and pushing his hips down so that he could rub against the thick cock between them. “Remind me how much I’m going to miss you when you leave on your hunt. I bet you could come like this, just from me rubbing you here.”   
Jared nodded, opening his eyes to look up at Jensen again. “You feel so good.”   
“You feel so good, too,” Jensen murmured, licking his lips and bending down to press a soft kiss on Jared’s open mouth. “You feel so good.”   
“Love you—“   
“Love you so much, Jared, so much.”   
Jared made a kittenish moan, panting loudly. “Then love me, don’t make me wait like this. Please, I need you—“   
“Shhhh…I promise…but for now, just like this…we’ll both come so good…” Jensen murmured, moving down to his elbows so that his chest pressed over Jared’s, and kissed him deeply. He flicked his tongue along Jared’s bottom lip, sucking on the pout, and swept his tongue inside the warm cavern of his mouth, tangling teasingly with his tongue, and licking the roof of his mouth. Jared moaned into the kiss and let out a sigh.   
He looked down into Jared’s eyes, smiling at him. “I’ll never get tired of being with you like this.”   
“Yes,” Jared whispered up at him. His eyes glowed a deep hazel green.   
“You mean everything to me,” Jensen told him, meaning it to his very soul. He had never felt the way he did for Jared; it scared him a little, too, knowing what it would do to him if he ever lost Jared.   
He released Jared’s wrists and stroked the side of his face with his fingers, pushing back the damp hair so he could see Jared’s face – all angles and soft patches – memorizing him with all of his senses. Jared’s hands wrapped over Jensen’s shoulders and slid down his back to grip his ass. Jared’s legs shifted and moved so that he was holding Jensen close to him.   
“I’ll always be with you,” Jared told him, lifting his head to kiss Jensen’s chin, that wide mouth moving down his jaw and lingering against his neck. He tucked his nose right behind Jensen’s ear and inhaled deeply. “I smell you everywhere; your scent is a part of me now, Jensen.”   
Something primal shot down his spine and Jensen shivered. He kissed Jared again, slow and long, inviting Jared’s tongue into his mouth this time, sucking on that knowing tongue. He slipped his fingers into Jared’s hair and gripped him hard, holding him down, and began to thrust.   
“Ohhhh…fuck, yes!” Jared shouted, arching up to him.   
Jensen braced his feet and knees on the bed and moved fast, his cock slipping against the ring of Jared’s muscles, sliding deeply inside, and moving out just as fast until just the head was inside. He bit down hard on his bottom lip as he moved, pushing and pushing and pushing inside of Jared, his stomach giving the friction Jared needed. He could feel the pleasure building, his balls tightening, but he found one last bit of control, wanting to see his mate come first.   
Jared’s hands gripped Jensen’s hips, fingernails digging into the skin. They grunted and growled with each other, Jared thrusting back just as hard and fast, meeting Jensen’s heavy rhythm and dragging his cock against Jensen’s skin.   
“Uhhh…Jensen…com…coming!”   
Jensen’s hands pulled on Jared’s hair, keeping his head on the pillow and looking down into his face. Jared’s mouth opened in a silent scream, eyes squeezed shut, the tendons of his neck standing out, his hands crushing Jensen’s hips enough to break. And he felt Jared come, his inner muscles fluttering around him and squeezing him and squeezing him in a tight grip, throbbing and clenching so hard that Jensen thought he’d black out from the pleasure. He kept fucking him, moving harder into him and Jared let out a cry that was heartfelt and full of mindless pleasure.   
He felt the swirl of his own pleasure begin and he tensed, moving just a few more times until his entire body tensed and he shuddered and moaned as he came.   
“God…fuck, Jay…oh God…”   
They panted loudly; Jensen fell on him and pressed his face against Jared’s sweaty neck, catching his breath. He felt Jared’s hot breath on his ear and he nuzzled his mate gently, hands releasing the death grip he had on his hair, and caressed his head to calm his mate.   
“Jensen, that was…that was…” He could hear how choked up Jared was and he held him close, his hands moving over Jared’s trembling body.   
“I know,” he whispered into Jared’s ear. “Shhhh…”   
Jared whimpered and collapsed on the bed. Jensen lifted his head and kissed Jared’s lips, his cheek, his chin. Jared’s eyes were closed, the black lashes clumped together from wetness.   
“I love you so much, Jared.”   
Jared nodded, swallowing thickly. “I love you, too.”   
Jensen took a deep breath and slowly slipped his softening cock from Jared and sat up for a moment to grab the sheets that they kicked to the end of the bed. He wiped Jared clean with the edge of the sheets and slid the sheets across his own cock. He moved to his side, curling up beside his mate and covered them with the clean part of the sheets.   
“It’s all right,” Jensen murmured into his ear, his hand caressing Jared’s chest in a soothing circle. “I’m right here; I’ll always be right here with you.”   
Jared turned and moved into Jensen’s arms and Jensen held him tightly, tangling his legs with Jared’s, pressing soft kisses on Jared’s forehead. Three more days until Jared left him to go hunt down the two Alphas who tried to kill him. Three more days and neither of them knew how long Jared would be gone. Jensen sighed into Jared’s damp hair and closed his eyes, the mechanical heart inside of him beating a strong rhythm, reminding him of the reason why Jared had to leave.   
***   
Doubletree Hotel  
El Paso, Texas   
Jensen was pleased with the discreet and subtle hotel in downtown El Paso. He shook hands as representatives of the five Texas werewolf packs entered the private meeting room. He scented anxiety and a little fear from the dozens of people who entered the room. Chris stood next to him, whispering names and summarizing bios in his ear.   
Across the room, Jensen saw Jared standing with Elder Justin Hartley, talking softly. He smiled when Jared sensed him watching him and looked up to give Jensen a wide, happy grin.   
“Jensen, that’s Christian Kane.”   
Jensen looked to the main doors of the room to see a handsome man with long dark blond hair, deep blue eyes, tanned face, and a serious expression. He wore a suit like all the others, but he looked uncomfortable with the formality. His first impression of Kane was “cowboy” – someone who didn’t follow the rules exactly as written, someone unpredictable – and while Jensen respected a cowboy, he wasn’t sure if he could fully trust Kane yet. He wondered what kind of pack Alpha that Kane would make and if Jensen still had to watch his back with the new leadership. Jensen politely offered his attention to Christian as he walked towards them. He noticed that he hadn’t brought any bodyguards. Jensen wasn’t sure if that was a show of supreme cockiness on Kane’s part or if the cowboy really was trying to make the best of a bad situation.   
“Thank you for coming, Christian,” Chris said, shaking his hand.   
“Pine, good to see you. I’m glad to be here,” Christian said, raising his eyebrow at Jensen. He noted that Christian had a heavy twang and he had to stifle the smile that threatened to break free: Christian Kane was a beer guzzling rockabilly good ole boy.   
“Christian,” Jensen said, holding out his hand.   
He watched as Christian shook his hand firmly. “Jensen, it’s good to see you.”   
Jensen raised his eyebrow. “Is it?”   
Christian blinked, giving him a solemn look. “I was under the impression that this was a neutral meeting.”   
“Forgive me, Christian, but I was shot in the chest recently and I’m still getting used to my bio-mechanical heart.” Jensen said, keep his tone light and letting the words sink into Christian’s consciousness.   
Christian gave him a nervous look. “You understand that I had nothing to do with that; that my pack would never agree with what the previous pack Alphas unilaterally decided to do.”   
“Hmmm,” Jensen murmured, raising his eyebrow at Christian. “And here you stand, Alpha of two large packs, ready to prove that you accept the consequences of your predecessors’ actions.”   
“It is my responsibility now as the new Alpha, yes.” Christian gave him a sharp look, his teeth clenched. “But it’s not my intention to do more harm to either of my packs by going up against any of my brothers.”   
Jensen had to admit that he kind of liked Kane. “Good. Then I invite you to the table, Christian. You are welcomed here. Chris, why don’t you show Christian around and help him get settled?”   
“Of course, Alpha,” Chris said, smiling sweetly. “Christian.”   
Christian gave Jensen a nod and sauntered off, following Chris across the room to meet the El Paso Alpha. Jensen took a deep breath, scenting Christian carefully, smelling only a bit of nervousness underneath the fragrant scent of clean hay and blueberries.   
“I’m not sure if that’s supposed to make me jealous or turn me on,” Jared whispered against his ear.   
Jensen grinned, looking up at him. “I’d prefer the latter.”   
“So that’s the new Alpha for Houston and Austin?” Jared said, tucking his chin on Jensen’s shoulder. “He’s short.”   
Jensen chuckled, nudging him with his elbow. “Not everyone can be a Sasquatch like you.”   
Jared pressed a soft kiss on the side of his neck. “I don’t think you have anything to be concerned about, Alpha.”   
He shivered slightly and tried not to blush or grin foolishly at the compliment. Jared chuckled against his ear again before moving away to talk to Chris. He openly admired his mate and beat down that part of him that wanted to go up to Jared and push him against the nearest flat surface and claim him. He didn’t think Jared would actually mind such a public display – and honestly, none of the other werewolves would blink an eye – but Jensen had just a little bit more decorum than that. Still, he liked imagining it as he watched his mate move through the room, shaking hands and talking to other werewolves, welcoming them to the meeting.   
He caught Chris’s eye and motioned him over. “Let’s get started in a minute.”   
“Of course, Alpha,” Chris said and gave him a sly grin. “I see that Jared is working the room like a pro.”   
“No doubt from his experience in sales and running underground fights,” Jensen said, proudly. “It would be silly to underestimate him, don’t you think Chris?”   
Chris gave Jared an assessing look. Jensen wanted to growl at him for checking out his mate like that, even though he knew Chris was merely evaluating Jared in an objective manner. “I wouldn’t put anything past him, Alpha. He’s the strongest pack Beta that I’ve ever encountered.”   
“Now, you’re not just saying that because he’s my mate, are you, Chris?” Jensen teased, smiling at Chris.   
Chris rolled his eyes. “You’re kidding, right? My job is to tell you when you’re being an ass. Do you really think I would’ve stayed quiet if I thought Jared wouldn’t make a strong partner for you and for our pack?”   
Jensen snorted and hid his pleased grin. “Come on, let’s get this meeting started, Mr Pine.”   
“Of course, Alpha,” Chris said, snickering quietly to himself.   
***   
The pack meeting was winding down. Jensen felt better about the status of the five Texas packs. The El Paso Alpha and the San Antonio Alpha signed the treaty alliances with Dallas, with Dallas offering protection to the packs and providing Favored Pack Status to them in terms of interstate trade and politics. Jensen watched as Christian Kane was the last to sign the treaty. He also watched Jensen carefully throughout the meeting, but he also looked at Jared who was sitting beside Jensen. He wasn’t going to jump to any conclusions – it was suicide to touch a mate that was clearly claimed – so he knew Christian wasn’t looking at Jared and plotting a way to seduce his mate from him. Jared’s large hand was warm on his knee, kneading him steadily throughout the meeting, giving him a bit of an underlying buzz of want and love in his touch.   
“Is there something on your mind, Christian?”   
Christian cleared his throat, folding his hands on top of the table. “Actually, yes, Jensen, there is something…but this is more for the Dallas pack Beta.”   
Jensen nodded. “I see.” He glanced at Jared and found Jared giving Christian an open look – not really hostile, but not trusting either. “Would you care to elaborate?”   
“I’d like to bring in two werewolves who would like to plead their case to the Beta,” Christian stated, softly.   
Jensen waited for Jared to make up his mind.   
Jared leaned forward and placed his hand on the table. “I’ll hear their case.”   
Jensen turned to look over his shoulder at Chris. “Would you bring in Christian’s two guests?”   
“Of course,” Chris said, standing and walking to the doors. He opened them and nodded to one of the Dallas pack guards, escorting in a man and a woman. He closed the door after they entered the room.   
Jensen looked over them, scenting their missing mates on them. The woman was lovely – petite with gorgeous dark reddish brown hair. She was pale and nervous, her hands wringing in front of her, as she stared at Jared. The man beside her was equally attractive – tall with short and spiky dirty blond hair and piercing pale blue eyes.   
He recognized them as the mates and Betas of the two rogue Alphas. No doubt they were at the meeting to ask for mercy for their mates. He watched Jared carefully, wondering what his mate would do. Would Jared show mercy? Would Jared be cold-hearted and unmoved?   
“Beta, this is Danneel Harris of the former Houston Alpha; and this is Riley Smith of the former Austin Alpha,” Christian said, standing up.   
Jared looked them over and took a deep breath. “What can I do for you?”   
“We’ve heard that you’ll be leaving soon to hunt our mates,” Riley said, softly.   
“Yes.”   
“Jared…Dallas Beta…please, I beg you, please don’t kill our mates,” Danneel said, swallowing thickly. “They are our mates—“   
“Your mate ordered the death of mine; they took his heart. Why should I show any kind of mercy for your mates?”   
“But he’s alive.” She said, her eyes moving to Jensen. She knew that she could not plead her case to him. Jensen scowled at her and she turned her gaze to Jared where it belonged.   
“Do you think that matters to me?” Jared said, standing up. “What if Jensen had died? What if his bio-mechanical heart fails one day? Do you really think that I have enough mercy in my heart to spare your mates?”   
“It’s not a question of what they did. I know – I understand what our mates did – we’re mates, too, and we can’t stand by and do nothing—“ Riley said, his voice deepening with emotion.   
“Is that a threat?” Jared growled at them. The Dallas pack guards inside the room blinked to attention, warning growls filling the room.   
“No. It’s not a threat,” Danneel said, biting back tears and putting her hand on Riley’s arm. “Please, Jared, if nothing else, please don’t kill them. Bring them back to the pack for justice. Give us a chance to see our mates one last time before…we know that the Council will brand them Omega and let the pack loose on them. We kill our traitors; we cull the pack to keep us strong. We know this. Riley and I are here, begging you to not kill them. Let them face justice in front of the Council. That’s all we ask.”   
Jared clenched his jaw, eyes fiery. His voice was rough. “Maybe you ask too much of me and I won’t be able to give you what you ask.”   
He turned and looked at Jensen. He could see that Jared wanted guidance, but Jensen left the decision to him. It was Jared’s right as his mate and Beta to want justice in any form that he felt would make things right. Jensen stared back at him, his expression neutral, letting Jared see that this was a choice only a pack Beta could make.   
Jared sighed, sitting down again. Jensen saw his shoulders tense, the flush of anger on his face still simmering but under control. He passed his hand over his mouth and then looked up at the mates of the former pack Alphas. “I know what it’s like to love your mate that you’d do anything in your power to protect him. I know that’s in our blood. I know it took a lot of courage to come here today and ask for mercy on behalf of your mates after what they did. And I know that I don’t have to grant it, that it’s my right to kill them by my hand.” He looked at Jensen and he gave Jared a warm smile. “But Jensen is alive and that’s the only reason why I’ll give your mates mercy when I find them. I’ll bring them back to Texas alive to be judged by the Council – but I choose that it is in front of a Council that is made up of all five packs. And I will accept the judgment of the Council after that – we all will.”   
“Thank you, Jared.” Riley said, pressing his hand against his face. “Thank you.”   
Danneel’s face was wet with tears, her lip trembling. “Thank you, Beta.”   
Jensen reached out and placed his hand on Jared’s shoulder, squeezing gently. He was proud of Jared; and he knew that Jared would do his best to keep his promise to Danneel and Riley. He considered the transformation that Jared made from the first time he met him to now. Chris was right – Jared was a formidable pack Beta, showing that right balance of power and compassion.   
Jared turned to look at him, his hazel eyes wet with unshed tears. Jensen gave him a smile and leaned close to him. “You make me so proud to be your mate.”   
***   
The Glass House  
Jensen’s and Jared’s Residence  
Jensen sighed, sipping his wine, as he watched his family and friends talking and laughing with Jared. They were celebrating Jared’s last night with them. Jensen didn’t want him to go; he could insist that Jared stay and keep him close. But he knew that Jared accepted Jensen’s wishes, there would always be that seed of doubt in Jared – was he worthy enough to be pack Beta? Would he be able to live each day knowing that he let justice slip through his fingers?   
He didn’t want Jared to ever regret choosing to stay with him, so Jensen would let him go. He knew that his bio-mechanical heart would stay strong for decades and he hadn’t yet addressed the fact that there was a chance he would outlive them all, the heart implant giving him longevity beyond that of a strong and healthy werewolf. He wanted Jared to finish his hunt and then come home, and then Jensen would share his thoughts on their life together. He didn’t want to burden Jared with this now; his mate, for all his happy smiles and affectionate looks, was hiding his hurting heart just as Jensen was hiding his.   
He would miss that cub so damn much.   
He grinned as Steve Carlson wandered over to him and sat down next to him on the sofa. “What’s on your mind, Alpha?”   
“Just enjoying the sight of my mate,” Jensen said, grinning as Jared laughed, throwing back his head, and clapping his hands.   
“His parents are sweet,” Steve commented, drinking his beer.   
Jensen turned to see Grant talking animatedly with Jared; and Sharlene had Zach and Chris enthralled in whatever she was telling them. Jensen sighed, tapping his finger against the glass. “I wanted to be furious with them for what they did to Jared; keeping his werewolf heritage from him for so long.”   
“You gonna pick a fight with his momma and his dad about things that happened in the past?” Steve said, raising his eyebrow at him. “They’re his parents, dude, they gotta right to do what they think’s best for him.”   
He knew that; he understood it fundamentally – Jensen didn’t believe in compromising parental rights, but he believed in doing the right thing. He closed his eyes and sighed, looking at the floor. “You’re right. I don’t have a right to complain about it.”  
“And look how great he turned out anyway,” Steve said, chuckling deeply. “You done good, Alpha.”   
“Thanks, Steve.”   
“I’m just glad you got someone to share this glass house with,” he said, smirking. “Goddamn glass monstrosity.”   
“You designed this house, man.”   
Steve rolled his eyes. “No self-respecting man actually wants a glass and steel house, Jensen. Man’s got to have privacy from the rest of the world; his home’s his only real domain at the end of the day.”   
“Now you tell me,” Jensen said, grinning. “You in the market to design us a new house?”   
Steve considered it. “Nah…just put up some damn curtains.”   
Jensen laughed, leaning back on the sofa, looking at his friend. He reached out and patted Steve on the shoulder. “Dude, when are you going to put up curtains of your own?”   
Steve gave him a sly smile and tossed back the rest of his beer. “I heard that the new Houston and Austin Alpha’s a real cowboy.”   
Jensen groaned, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “Please, Steve, for the love of all things holy, anyone but Christian Kane.”   
“I like me a good cowboy now and then, you know.”   
Jensen laughed loudly and freely, covering his eyes with his hands. He loved his friend; he loved that Steve knew him to distract him from his melancholy thoughts. He couldn’t stop laughing and pressed his hand to his mouth, trying to stem the sound. He looked over to see Jared watching him, eyes bright as he watched Jensen laugh.  
***   
Sometimes, Jensen wondered if the moon was closer in the Texas sky than anywhere else in the world. He leaned against the open door to the back patio and took a deep breath, looking up at the full moon. He felt the instinct to want to howl, to let the werewolf in him to come out, run the rough plains on his bare feet and merge with the world around him.   
“I could hear your thoughts from the bedroom. What’re you doing out here?”  
“Couldn’t sleep,” Jensen said, smiling. “I didn’t want to wake you; I know you’re going to have a long day tomorrow.”   
Jared sighed against Jensen’s ear, strong arms curling around his waist, holding him against his chest. “My boys have tracked them from New Mexico to California to Montana.”   
“Montana?” Jensen said, turning to look at him.   
“They can’t leave the country – all of our allies have locked down the borders and they won’t be able to use any kind of transportation out of the US.”  
Jensen closed his eyes, leaning against his mate, letting the feel of Jared seep into his body. “I don’t want you to go.”   
“I don’t want to leave you.”   
Jensen nodded, feeling his throat tighten. “But this defines you as my mate and as the pack Beta.”  
“Yeah.”   
“The pack won’t find fault if you decide to stay with me.”   
“I know,” Jared whispered into his ear, nipping it gently with his teeth. Jensen shuddered and let out a soft sigh of pleasure. “But it’s something that I have to finish.”   
“Are you doing this for me…or for you?”   
“For both. As your mate, I’ll never feel that you’re safe if I let them go unpunished; as your Beta, it’s my duty to protect you, too.”   
Jensen turned in his arms and placed his hands on Jared’s cheeks, looking into his darkening eyes. “Then go on your hunt, finish it, and bring them back for justice. For justice, Jared, not revenge. I’m not dead and…” he gave a wry grin. “And it won’t be the last time that they’ll test our strength.”   
Jared kissed his deeply, a hard kiss, teeth pressing against his lips. “I hate this.”   
“Just promise me that you’ll come home often. I don’t think I can be alone anymore.”  
Jensen stroked his face and ran his fingers through Jared’s wavy hair, clenching a handful, listening to his hiss. Jared’s eyes glowed as he gazed at him, his eyelids lowered slightly.   
“I won’t stay away too long, Alpha. I can’t.”   
“You just come back home to me, Beta, come back safe.”

 

Part 16: Jared

Three Months Later

Alphabet City  
New York City

Jared pulled up the collar of his battered leather jacket as he crossed to Avenue C and walked down the Loisaida towards one of the low red brick buildings along the street. He passed the trendy sidewalk bar on the corner, carefully avoiding the last call patrons as they stumbled out onto the street. He saw two members of his hit squad slide into the darkness of the storefront doorways on the other side of the street and Jared motioned for them to keep moving with a quick tilt of his head.

He knew that the rogue Alphas were somewhere here in Alphabet City, a hard bought refuge when every werewolf was out for their blood. Chad was keeping him informed of what was going on back home – mostly updates about Jensen who had reverted to his workaholic ways – and feeding him information that Chad gathered for him from their allies in packs all over the states.

‘There’s a bounty on them,’ Chad told him.

Jared balanced his cell phone on his shoulder. ‘Bounty? Who put out the bounty?’

‘Kane. He wants them brought in alive, one mill each.’

‘No fucking way.’

Chad chuckled into his ear. ‘So what’re you going to do with the money?’

‘Divide it up among the boys.’ Jared said. “How’s my mate?”

“He’s all right. The girls and I saw him out at a restaurant with Tom and Mike,” Chad said, softly. “He looked pale, kinda tired, but all right.”

Jared sighed. “I miss him so much.”

“You should come home soon, Jay.”

“I will. But I’m so close to finishing this,” Jared said, taking a deep breath. “I’m so close, Chad.”

He stepped into an alley, hands clenched in fists inside the jacket pockets. He scented more of his boys moving with him, following him along the street or across the rooftops. He had started his hunt with just two other weres, people that he and Chad trusted during their underground fight operations. A few times, he asked Jensen to use his name and his position to open doors for him.

Jensen chuckled throatily and Jared shivered at the sound, crushing down the need to be with him. “You know, you can use your position, too. No one would ever refuse a pack Beta’s request to hunt in their city, especially in our situation.”

“I just want to expedite the process,” Jared said into his cell phone. “You’re the pack diplomat. I don’t want to take two steps back with anyone in the pack leadership if I step on some toes.”

“You speak for me, Jared, when you’re on pack business. Don’t forget that. If they don’t listen to you, they’re insulting both of us.”

And once or twice, Jensen sent Morgan to meet with a difficult pack Alpha and to “encourage” him or her to let Jared and his boys come into their city. As the Alpha sister of a pack Alpha, Morgan Ackles had quite the reputation and she wasn’t shy about using it to get her way. Jared was glad that she was his were-sister; that she was his ally and not his enemy. Jensen was fair even in anger, but Morgan…she went for the throat with her teeth.

Jared stopped at a metal door and rapped his knuckles against it twice. He scented his boys close by, always watching out for him. The door slipped open on a quiet squeak. He looked inside to see a tall and handsome black man at the door.

“Hey,” Jared said, walking inside as Aldis Hodge closed the door behind him. He gave the other man a brief hug. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Long time, brother,” Aldis drawled, raising his eyebrow.

“Did you get their location?”

“We don’t exchange pleasantries anymore? Go right to business?”

Jared frowned. “Pardon my lack of courtesy, but I don’t have time to play around.”

“Two streets over in a row house,” Aldis said as Jared followed him through the brightly lit kitchen. There was a mid-size trunk on top of the counter and Aldis reached over to open the top, showing the contents to Jared.

Jared looked at the heavy silver chains and neck braces. A set of work gloves were tucked in beside the chains. He nodded at Aldis. “Who’s watching them?”

“Cohen and Katie are staking out the place,” Aldis said.

Jared took a deep breath. “How many are with the rogue Alphas?”

“Matt counted five, but there could be more. They’re not werewolves. Might be non-were muscle paid to protect.”

“Then maybe we can pay them to leave instead of getting in the middle of this,” Jared said, thoughtfully. “I don’t want to see anyone get hurt if we can help it.”

“Agreed.”

Jared nodded, slipping his hand under his jacket to pull out a thick envelope, bulging at the sides. He slid it over to Aldis.

“And what is that supposed to be?”

“Payment.”

Aldis smirked and slid it across the counter back to Jared. “I thought you understood, brother, this is about blood and not about money.”

Jared smiled. “It’s because you think you still owe me for that last game when I covered your bet...and your ass.”

“I do still owe you for that last game and I expect you to call in that marker when you need a favor from me,” he said, chuckling deeply. “But nah, this isn’t about the game. You’re my boy, Padalecki. You don’t have to pay me to back you up. We’re all here because rogue werewolves are bad for pack business.”

Jared tapped his fingers on the envelope. He grinned and slid it back to Aldis. “Then let me give it to you as a generous donation in your name to any charity of your choice.”

Aldis gave him a long look. He and Aldis had been business acquaintances for years, having met while Jared and Chad were setting up their underground fight nights. Aldis was a stand up guy and Jared trusted him. He was right, it wasn’t about the money. Jared never asked for it back because it wasn’t as important to him as having Aldis as an ally and friend; and Aldis didn’t need the money, he was the grandson of the leader of the National Werewolf Black Caucus League and Aldis was the Alpha-heir of New York City pack. It was bad for business for the Hodge name to be caught up with illegal gambling and underground fights. Jared was in the right place at the right time and jumped in to help him out.

“All right, brother. I know some shelters in the city that needs this.” He picked up the hefty envelope and tucked it into the inner pocket of his canvas jacket. “Now, where’s the rest of your boys?”

“Three up top and two on the street.”

“With us, that makes eight.” Aldis took a deep breath. “You sure you don’t need any more back up? I can make a call and get the rest of my boys here in ten minutes.”

Jared considered it. He didn’t want or plan for a shoot-out. He wanted this to be a clean mission – go in, use the element of surprise, get the two rogues, and get the fuck out.

“Too many bystanders, even at this hour,” Jared said, softly. “And it’s a no-kill hunt, Aldis. I want to bring them back alive.”

“That don’t mean that you need to bring them back in one piece,” Aldis said, smiling widely.

Jared smiled back at him and chuckled. “I made a promise to their Betas back home that I’d bring them back and let the Council decide their fate.”

Aldis let out a low whistle, raising his eyebrow. “Generous of you; I would’ve sliced their throats open. Man, they’re just asking for pain, it’ll be better for them if you just took them out. No werewolf ever survived an Omega branding.”

“Yeah,” Jared said, nodding. “But that’s not my call, that’s Council justice.”

“Hmm…” Aldis stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You armed?”

Jared pulled aside his jacket and showed him the Sig Sauer holstered under his arm. “I’ve got non-lethal silver bullets.”

“Stings but don’t kill,” Aldis said, whistling low. “Nice, man, where did you pick them up? I need some of that.”

Jared grinned at him. “I didn’t know that NYC pack was interested in moving guns.”

Aldis just raised his eyebrow at him. “Everyone thinks Texas is the wild Wild West, but NYC has its share of the wild. It’s a safe haven for werewolves but that doesn’t mean that all of our werewolf citizens are on the straight and narrow and I don’t like seeing my weres taken down by overzealous cops shooting at them with silver, not if there’s another way to keep both our populations safe. If you have a contact who can manufacture non-lethal silver bullets, then yeah, I’m interested.”

“His name’s Chad Lindberg down in Pittsburgh with Lindberg Steel. He’s a kid, but he’s got his dad’s company and I’m test driving his non-lethal silver. Tell him I referred you to him and he’ll give you a good deal.”

“Cool, man,” Aldis said, softly. “So you ready to do this?”

“Yeah. It’s almost over and I have a mate waiting for me at home that I’m itching to get back to.”

Aldis gave him a wide grin. “Look it you gone all soft and shit.”

Jared chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, well, you ought to try it.”

“I’m working on it,” he said, softly. Aldis took a deep breath. “I got your back, Jared, for as long as you’re in my city.”

Jared nodded. “Thanks, man.” He paused for a moment and looked at his friend. “Do me one favor—“

“I’ll make sure you get back home to your mate after this is over, one way or another.”

“Then we understand each other.” If anything happened to Jared, he could trust Aldis to make sure that he sent his body back to Jensen.

“Don’t do anything stupid that’ll make me drag your lifeless hide to the Dallas pack Alpha and have to explain myself before him,” Aldis said, his brown eyes glowing deeply.

Jared smirked at him. “Awww…look it you getting all soft and shit now.”

Aldis laughed and thumped Jared hard on the back. “Come on, white boy, let’s get you back home by sunrise.”

***

419 Avenue D  
Alphabet City

Jared opened a plastic bottle and poured out a small handful of clear liquid. He doused his head, neck, and face with the liquid, ignoring the godawful smell.

“What the fuck is that? And why are you putting that shit on in my ride, man?” Aldis growled at him, making a disgusted face.

“I’m disguising my scent,” Jared said, handing him the bottle. He snickered when Aldis brought the opening to his nose and sniffed, pulling it away and turning his head aside.

“Fuck, why does that smell like dead raccoon?”

“You’re not far off. I met up with this moonshine maker in Arkansas who brewed this for me and the boys. Keeps werewolf scent trackers from smelling us. We almost got the rogues two states ago, they couldn’t scent us so they didn’t know we were coming, but they slipped past us using human cover.” Jared said, sighing deeply. “Put some on. Make sure to cover your head, neck, and face.”

“No way. No fucking way. I draw the line at smelling like roadkill,” Aldis said, snarling.

“Do it, don’t be such a pussy,” Jared told him. “Otherwise, they’ll scent you. Everyone in the city knows your scent and they’re going to be wondering why you’re down here in Alphabet City.”

“Jesus, you’re going to pay for my spa day, my dry cleaning and for the detailing on my baby,” Aldis said, reluctantly pouring out a handful and wiping it over his head. “Jesus, it’s worse when it’s on you!”

Jared laughed, watching his friend make gagging faces. He took the bottle back from him and capped it, then slipped it into his jacket. He ignored the rest of Aldis’s sputtering and looked down the street at the brownstone building. “They’re in there.”

“Yeah,” Aldis said, tapping his wireless earpiece. He waited for a few seconds, listening for a series of return taps. “All of our people are in place, Jared.”

“We go in the front, they’ll collapse on the brownstone from all sides, top to bottom,” Jared said, tapping on his wireless earpiece. When he heard the responses, he took a deep breath. “We go in soft and we leave soft.” The confirm taps came back loud and clear. Jared pulled out his gun and checked the clip. “Try not to hit any of the bystanders, but if they get in your way, incapacitate them. The no-kill rules hold but defend yourselves if you need to.” More taps came through his earpiece. He looked at Aldis and nodded that he was ready. “We go now.”

They slipped out of Aldis’s platinum Bentley and ducked behind the row of cars parked on the side of the street, making their way closer towards the brownstone.

He could feel his heart starting to rev up, but Jared took a few deep breaths and used the last of his control to calm his rapidly beating heart. When Jared was under house arrest, Jensen said that he needed to learn how to control his emotions and his scent; a small part of him thought that Jensen would be proud.

Jared watched as Aldis made quick work of the lock, twisting the doorknob slowly and opening the door with a minimum of sound. Jared slipped in behind him and closed the door silently. He and Aldis would cover the main floor, the other hit squad boys coming from the roof and the basement.

They heard sounds of people moving around towards the rear of the brownstone. Aldis looked over his shoulder and motioned with his head that he’d take point. Jared watched as he pulled out a stun baton, the end electrified with a blue light.

Jared heard a series of muffled thumps coming from the second floor.

“Second floor clear. They’re not up here, Jay,” one of his boys voice whispered through his earpiece.

He heard footsteps coming in from the back of the brownstone and he and Aldis ducked into the opposite rooms of the hallway. Jared held up his gun and motioned for Aldis to take him down.

Aldis pressed the end of his stun baton on the two non-weres that passed them, one of them letting out a loud gurgle before falling on the floor.

Bullets dotted along the wall and Jared ducked low, looking quickly around the edge of the doorway to see several men scrambling away, footsteps loud as they moved across the rooms. Jared’s senses went into high alert and he heard someone coming up behind him from the other side of the room. He turned, aiming his gun at the werewolf bearing down on him.

The werewolf kicked his arm, making him drop his gun. Jared growled and stood, launching himself at the other were, falling to the ground. A sharp elbow to his side winded him and wide hands curled around his neck, a knee in his gut, squeezing the breath out of him.

“Jared!” Aldis shouted, running across the room, stunning the werewolf above him.

Jared coughed as Aldis pulled him up by the arm. “Thanks.”

More gunfire. There was shouting. Jared saw Katie stalk into the hallway, guns drawn in both of her hands as she returned fire, ducking into the room with them.

“Matt went back up to the roof for a bird’s eye view. He’ll let us know if anyone steps out of the brownstone,” she said, eyes glowing a bright blue.

Jared couldn’t help but be a little impressed at her total lack of concern, bullets flying over her head. He pulled her down and she grinned at him.

“Don’t worry about me, pretty Beta,” she said, slapping his cheek affectionately. “I’m going around back.”

“Damn it,” Jared said, scrambling up and sliding across the room for his gun. He saw Aldis slinking towards the back and Jared followed Katie, watching as she stepped into the kitchen. She fired off three rounds with her gun, dropping the guards down hard. “No-kill, Katie, no-kill.”

“They’re not dead, Beta, they were non-lethal shots,” she said, snorting playfully. She pointed her gun at the startled werewolf sitting against the wall, ducking his head. “You, don’t move.”

Jared glared at the man. “Rob Benedict?”

The man blinked, looking at him. “Yes.”

“I’m taking you back to Dallas pack. You’ll appear before the Were Council for sentencing on the attempted murder of my mate,” he growled at him.

He watched as Katie pulled out a thin syringe from her pocket, flicking off the needle protector with her thumb.

“Please!” Benedict said, looking up at Jared with wide eyes. “I didn’t want to do it! I didn’t want to—what the hell is that?”

“A little night-night concoction,” she said, smirking at him.

He watched as she grabbed Benedict’s arm, slamming the syringe into his neck. A few seconds later, the werewolf’s eyes went wide and he slumped on the floor, unconscious.

“Where’s the other rogue—“ Jared gasped, feeling a hot pain lance from the back of his left shoulder. He turned to see Mark Pellegrino running for the back door and Jared ducked before he shot him in the head. “Fuck!”

“You’re hit!” Katie said, grabbing his arm. She tapped her earpiece. “Beta’s hit.”

Aldis ran into the kitchen, breathing hard. “Damn it, Padalecki!”

Katie checked him over roughly as Jared gritted his teeth. “Went clean through, it’s just a little blood.”

“Rogue Alpha is running down Avenue D towards East Houston,” Matt said into his earpiece. “I’m following him now. Going south.”

Jared fought through the pain and shucked off his jacket and ripped off his shirt. He breathed deeply, shifting into his werewolf form. He let out a loud growl and turned on his hind leg, slamming out of the door, following the scent of the rogue Alpha.

“JARED!” Aldis shouted after him. “Goddamn it!”

Jared ran out into the night air and tucked his nose into the air, taking deep breaths as he scented Pellegrino. He let out a loud war cry and chased after the scent. He lumbered quickly, his nose leading him down the empty street, down alleyways behind low slung building, and past the street graffiti covering the brick walls. He heard Matt’s howl and readjusted his chase, running towards his call. He let out a howl of his own to answer him.

He sensed that Matt was near, even though he couldn’t see or scent him, but he knew that they could both scent track Pellegrino. Jared’s legs burned as he raced down the street, jumping over wire fences, scaling a wall to avoid obstacles in his way. The blood was pumping through his veins and he felt the call of the moon and the hunt throughout his body, making him shiver with delight and blood lust.

Jared ran out into a main street, neatly avoiding the oncoming cars as he crossed the streets. He stuck his nose into the air again, catching the rogue Alpha’s scent as he crossed the Bowery. Jared took off, taking a short cut. He let out a howl again and paused as he heard Matt’s answering cry, three blocks over.

They’d circle around the rogue Alpha, cut him off at Washington Square Park. Jared let out a whoop and ran again, joyful in his hunt.

The last of Jared’s humanity shut down as he caught the scent, heavier this time, laced with fear and adrenaline. He jumped on a park bench and inhaled deeply, sharp glowing eyes moving through the park. He barked out a cry when he saw Matt prowl into the park, moving low and tight. Matt let out a soft whoop of his own and they both launched into the depths of the small city park, both of them picking up on the rogue Alpha’s scent.

He avoided the humans lingering in the park. He slowed his pace, walking silently into the wooded areas. He let out a soft whine after losing the scent. He back tracked through the woods, his ears prickling at every little sound.

Jared turned his head sharply to the right when he heard Matt’s sharp cry of pain. He hurtled through the low branches, feeling them burn against his furred covering as he launched past the bushes, long legs jumping over the ground. He hissed when he saw Pellegrino’s clawed hand rising in the air about to slash Matt’s throat.

With a roar, he slammed into the back of the rogue Alpha, both rolling to their feet and facing each other. Jared growled, showing his teeth, his ears pulled back, claws out and ready for a fight. The rogue Alpha barked at him and Jared let out a throaty animal laugh, circling with the other werewolf.

This was the werewolf who ordered the hit on his mate, his pack Alpha. He narrowed his eyes and used the power of his legs to launch himself at the other werewolf, his shoulder pummeling into his gut, knocking them both down. Jared whined in pain as the claws slashed against his chest and back, but he grabbed one of the werewolf’s arms and twisted it, hearing the crack of bone and the howl of pain from the rogue Alpha.

Jared jumped back, baring his teeth again as he watched the werewolf struggle to his feet, one arm limp by his side. He moved forward again, jumping high into the air and pushing out his feet to knock the other werewolf down to the ground. Jared slammed his booted foot into the thigh, cracking the bone. The werewolf howled and Jared barked at him, ducking nearby, watching intently as the rogue werewolf tried to scramble away. Jared reached out and grabbed him by the ankle, dragging him back. Pellegrino whimpered when Jared pushed him flat on his back, his knee coming down on the other werewolf’s chest, claw tightening around his throat.

He looked into Pellegrino’s glowing eyes. He saw his defeat as Pellegrino panted, hands limp on the ground, his chin moving to the side in submission. Jared growled at him, bringing his teeth and muzzle close to the other werewolf, scenting him thoroughly. He smelled defeat, fear, and blood.

“Jay!”

Jared turned sharply at the sound of his name, eyeing the other werewolves walking slowly towards him. He tightened his grip on Pellegrino’s neck and growled a warning to the others.

“Whoa, brother, it’s just us. No-kill, remember?” Aldis said, hands empty and outstretched, ducking his head slightly as he came closer. “I just want to check on my boy.”

Jared barked his consent and looked up as Katie walked towards him, holding a syringe in her hand.

“Beta…I’ve got the other rogue Alpha in the van, he’s knocked out and chained in silver. Let me take this one. He’s not worthy of your attention anymore,” Katie said, softly. She hummed in the back of her throat, showing him that she was harmless.

He narrowed his eyes and released his grip on Pellegrino, slithering back to make room and to watch his own back. He couldn’t scent them, but he knew they were friends. He watched as she jabbed Pellegrino in the neck with the needle and saw the other werewolf close his eyes, his body lax and still.

Jared breathed deeply, closing his eyes. He reined in his animal and slowly changed back to his human form. He fell to his knees on the grass, looking over at Aldis as he checked on Matt. “How is he?”

“He’s alive, just badly scratched up,” Aldis said and then looked at Jared. “Holy shit, you’re going to need some stitches, too.”

Jared waved his concern away. “I’m fine. I’ll heal up soon enough.”

His boys walked towards him and they helped him to his feet. Jared groaned, the blood rush to his head making him light-headed.

“Damn it,” Jared muttered, taking another deep breath. “I’m going to throw up.”

He pushed away from the strong hands holding him and turned, leaning on his knees, as he dry heaved. He spat on the ground and panted hard, trembling. It was over. It was fucking over. He could go home now.

“You all right, Jay?” One of his boys said, softly.

Jared looked up at them, giving them a small smile. “Yeah. Let’s go home.”

***

Floyd Bennett Airfield  
Brooklyn, New York

Aldis cleared them to transport the two rogue Alphas back to Dallas. He let Jared borrow the Hodge private jet. Jared was dressed in clean clothes, his leather jacket pulled tight against him. He watched as they loaded the two unconscious werewolves into the plane. They wore the silver neck band and heavy chains on their wrists and ankles. Whatever cocktail Katie gave them would keep them out for three more hours and the silver chains would keep them docile while they were in the air.

Jared leaned against the side of Aldis’s Bentley, watching as his boys loaded up the plane with the rest of their gear. Aldis leaned beside him, grinning widely.

“I can’t thank you enough for your help,” he said, softly.

Aldis chuckled. “Just doing my duty to a pack Beta.”

“I’ll let Jensen know that you and your pack helped me catch them. I’m sure he’ll speak to your father about it and honor your pack for your assistance,” Jared said, taking a deep breath.

“The honor is mine, Beta,” Aldis said, smirking. “Have a safe flight home, Jared.”

Jared turned and gave Aldis a long hug, patting him on the back. “Thanks, man.”

“So I guess this means that with you pack Beta, there’s no more underground fights,” Aldis said, raising his eyebrow.

Jared threw back his head and laughed. “Not in Texas anyway.”

“Maybe we can bring it out from the ugliness of underground and make it into a commercial venture,” Aldis said, looking at Jared. “With your contacts and my contacts, we could get it legalized.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “I think my days as a fight promoter are over, Aldis. I’m going to have to retire. I’ll have Chad give you a call about it, though.”

“So not only have you gone soft, you’ve gone legit as well?” Aldis said and laughed. “Man, who ever saw this day coming.”

Jared considered it for a long time. He grinned at Aldis. “I know, right?”

“Get on home to your mate,” Aldis said, patting Jared on the back. “And have Murray call me. I got some ideas I want to run by him.”

Jared walked towards the plane, saluting Aldis with his fingers. “Later, man. Stay out of trouble.”

Aldis laughed, shaking his head. “You do the same, brother.”

Jared grinned, walking up the narrow steps to the inside of the plane. He saw that his boys had put Benedict and Pellegrino in the middle of the plane, secured them down on their seats. Jared sat in the leather chair facing them and took a deep breath.

“Would you like a drink, Beta?” The steward said, holding a tray of drinks.

“Thanks,” Jared said, taking a bottle of water. “We’re ready when we’re cleared to go.”

“Of course, sir,” the steward said, smiling. “I’ll notify the Captain.”

“Thank you.”

“Please let me know if you need anything else once we’re airborne.”

Jared nodded to him and put on his seatbelt, tucking the bottled water into the holder on his armrest. He yawned deeply, feeling his body crave sleep and rest. He closed his eyes, hearing the engines kick, the plane gliding gently over the tarmac. In just a few hours, he’d be home. He saw his hands shaking and he crossed his arms, tucking them close against him. There were so many thoughts going through his head. He didn’t even know what to feel first – victorious that he finally got the rogues, angry that he promised to bring them back alive, elated to see his mate again, uncertain of what was to come – Jared wanted to whoop with joy and he wanted to just curl up and cry in relief and homesickness.

He covered his eyes with his hand and just took a few deep breaths. His throat was sore and tense with emotion. He was going home…he was going to be with Jensen…he was going home…

 

***

Somewhere over Texas

He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled down his contacts list for Jensen’s number. He was about to hit the call button but slipped his thumb away at the last minute. He frowned for a moment, doubting his actions.

He scrolled down his address book again and pressed the call button, pressing the cell phone to his ear.

“Jared?”

“Chris, I need you to get the Were Council together. We’re arriving in an hour and I’ll have the rogue Alphas waiting for the Elders at the courthouse.”

There was a rapid, shuffling noise, the sound of a lamp clicked on, and Zach’s voice in the background asking what was the matter.

“Jared…Jesus, you got them?”

“Yeah, Chris, I got them and I’m bringing them in alive,” he said, tiredly. “Don’t call Jensen.”

“Don’t call the Alpha? Why not?”

“Because after I drop them off with the Council, I’m going to go see my mate and I don’t want us disturbed. I can tell him what happened and you can handle the rest,” Jared said, his voice firm. “We’ll finish up everything later.”

“Of course,” Chris said, thoughtfully. “I’ll have the Council available to you. See you soon.”

“Thanks.”

***

The Glass House  
Jensen’s and Jared’s Residence

Jared slipped into the Glass House, reset the security alarm, and shucked his leather jacket off, letting it drop on the floor. He toed off his boots and threw off his clothes as he made his way to their bedroom, so that by the time he was standing beside the bed, he was naked and hard.

Jensen was curled on his side, arm stretched out on Jared’s side of the bed, the other tucked under the pillow under Jensen’s face. He looked younger in sleep, the duties and responsibilities of the pack and the Institute finally off his shoulders for a few hours each night. Jensen slept the sleep of the just and of love. Jared closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, slowly, taking in Jensen’s scent. His mate was safe and warm in their bed and Jared licked his lips, taking the edge of the bed sheet and pulling it down slowly, revealing Jensen’s tanned and freckled skin. He was glad to see that Jensen slept naked. It took a little convincing but in the short time that Jared was with Jensen, he had gotten his mate to enjoy sleeping curled against him in nothing but bed-warmed skin.

God, he couldn’t wait and he hoped that Jensen wanted him just as much because he wasn’t sure if he could be patient right now. He pulled open the bedside table drawer and pulled out the lube. He uncapped it and squeezed out a handful, slathering his cock quickly. He watched Jensen’s eyelids flutter, his eyebrows furrowing for a moment, his nostrils flaring slightly like he was scenting in his sleep. But Jared knew that he still reeked of the liquid that disguised his scent, which was why Jensen looked troubled.

With a grin, Jared grabbed Jensen’s shoulder and gently rolled him on his back. He got on the bed, kneeing Jensen’s thighs apart, and watched as Jensen came awake, eyelids fluttering open sleepily and widening when he saw Jared.

“Jay—“

Jared curled his hand around Jensen’s cock, feeling him harden. He fisted it and stroked him slowly and he leaned down to kiss Jensen, delving into his mouth, ignoring the taste of morning breath, and sucked on his tongue, savoring the taste of his mate in his own mouth. He sank against Jensen’s warm and relaxed body as Jensen curled his arms and legs around him, kissing him back frantically, biting his lips, letting out a low, primal growl.

Jared let out a soft hiss when Jensen’s fingers moved over his healing scars. Jensen pushed him back, looking at the long claw marks across his chest. Jared sat back on his heels, thrusting out his chest and letting his mate check him over. He was kind of proud of the scars because they showed that he fought well to bring in the rogue Alphas; that he was entitled to his victory and as he gazed down at Jensen’s pretty face, forehead furrowed in concern and anger, he was entitled to the spoils of war.

“You’re hurt—“

“I’m healing—“

Jensen sat up, wrapping his arms around Jared’s hips, licking the marks. “Where else are you hurt?”

“Just my back—“

Jensen growled, looking into his eyes. “Which of them did this to you?”

“Pellegrino and I got into a rough fight—“

“I’ll kill him myself,” Jensen hissed.

Jared kissed him, soothing the animal that was just under the surface. He didn’t want Jensen’s anger, he wanted Jensen’s passion and lust and attention. “Later. I need you now, Alpha. Please.”

“Missed you—“

“Fuck, I want you so bad—“

“Come on—“

He pushed Jensen on his back and slipped his wet fingers past Jensen’s tightening balls, fingers rubbing gently against his opening. They hadn’t fucked like this since Jared preferred having Jensen inside of him. But now, after everything, being on the hunt, and coming home triumphant, he wanted to be inside of his mate.

Jensen moaned, throwing his head back on the pillow, his eyes closing as Jared slipped both fingers inside of him, feeling him tighten around his fingers. “Shit—“

“Please, Jensen, I need you—“

“Yeah—“ Jensen moaned and Jared felt him relax.

Jared kissed him gratefully, blindly reaching for the lube. He pulled his fingers out and squeezed more lube on them and pressed back inside Jensen, wiggling and pushing in as deep as he could. Jensen was hot and smooth inside and Jared watched as his mate arched up against him when his fingers moved over the small knot of nerves. Jared watched as Jensen came undone, his fingers pressing against the same spot in a hard rhythm.

Jensen rumbled, “Quit your teasing and fuck me now, Jay!”

Jared grabbed the shaft of his cock, pushing Jensen’s thighs wide apart and pressed the head against Jensen’s opening and pushed in, one long stroke until he bottomed out, not giving Jensen a chance to escape or breathe. It stunned him, how tight Jensen was around his cock, the muscles holding him and sucking him in with a wet promise for pleasure.

“Christ,” Jensen hissed, hands clenching on Jared’s shoulders. “Fuck, you really need this, don’t you?” Jensen wrapped his legs firmly around Jared’s hips, pulling him in hard. Jared let out a started moan-cry, staring down at Jensen’s face. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the challenge on his mate’s face.

He moved over Jensen, one hand tucked under Jensen’s hip, grabbing one of his plump ass cheeks, the other hand moving under Jensen’s back, his fingers reaching up to grasp Jensen’s short hair. He growled as he fucked Jensen hard and fast, holding him still and staring into Jensen’s eyes, watching his skin flush and sweat.

“Mine!”

Jensen let out a dirty chuckle, glowing green eyes peering up at him, a playful smirk on his lips. “Finished your hunt and now you’re home a fucking champion – uhhhh, yeah, Jay – came back to fuck me like you deserve a fucking medal, huh? Come on, Beta, fuck me, I want to feel it for days – uhhh, uhhh, uhhh…do it, yeah, Beta, yeah—“

“Fuck!” Jared grunted, pushing his knees into the mattress for better leverage. He liked the challenge and Jensen was tight around him, his muscles strong and clenching his cock, tightening every time Jared thrust his hips against Jensen. He knew that Jensen was strong enough to take him and Jared wasn’t going to hold back. “Alpha—“

“Not going to last long, are you?”

Jared gritted his teeth, staring down at his mate. Jensen smirked up at him, his hands busy clutching Jared’s back, fingernails scoring into his skin.

“Come on, baby, fuck me harder. I don’t think you’re getting what you need from me,” Jensen growled at him. “Come on! Come on, Jay!”

Jared panted roughly, throwing his head back; his hips jack knifing faster and faster, shoving his cock into Jensen over and over again, the wet friction delicious and forceful. He was close, he wasn’t going to last, and he was going to come inside his mate.

Jensen gasped, hands slipping off his sweaty arms to clutch the sheets. “That all you got? Huh? I was expecting more from you, Beta. Think you can take me like this? Think you’re going to fuck your Alpha—“

“God, Jensen, shut up, please!” Jared wheezed at him, squeezing his eyes shut. He ducked his head, sweat dripping down his face. He couldn’t take the dirty talk; couldn’t take Jensen enflaming him like this.

He let go of Jensen’s body and braced his hands on the mattress, pushing up so that his arms were straight, his back curved so much that it was starting to cramp. He arched his head back; eyes staring blindly up at the ceiling, mouth opened and teeth bared as he fucked his mate’s body. He could feel his cock hardening even more, balls tight against him, and he gasped out an astonished moan as he came, his body shuddering out of control. His hands curled into a fist and he let out a piercing howl that seemed as endless as the pleasure gripping his entire body.

“Oh God! Jensen! Fuck!”

Jared collapsed down to his elbows, catching his weight, and then sank down over Jensen again, breathing hard through his opened mouth, trembling. He moaned when he felt Jensen clench around his cock with his muscles, pulling out another wave of pleasure. He pressed kisses against Jensen’s neck, licking the sweat off his skin, nipping his ear. Jensen turned his head and caught Jared’s lips with his, opening his mouth and teasing Jared with his tongue. He shuddered again, thrusting slowly into Jensen.

“That was so good,” Jensen murmured, his palms soothing his back. “That was so good, so good, Jared, so good…”

“Jesus…Jen, fucking missed you so much…” Jared whispered, moving up to his elbow to look at Jensen’s face, look into his glowing green eyes. He felt his eyes tear up and he bit his trembling lip, looking at him.

“Beta,” Jensen murmured, running his hands over Jared’s face, pushing back his sweat damp bangs. “Love you—“

“Love you, love you, love you,” Jared said, kissing every part of Jensen that he could, nuzzling the side of his face. They both groaned when Jared slipped out and Jared ran his hands down Jensen’s face, fingers tracing the bruised lips. He pushed up on his knees, curled over his mate, nosing his way down Jensen’s neck and licking his tangy skin. He grabbed Jensen’s arm and pressed his face into his armpit, inhaling deeply, and licking at the sparse hairs. Jensen chuckled softly, jerking against him. “Love you, love you, love you—“

“Hmm…” Jensen murmured, purring softly as his head lolled on the pillow.

Jared sniffed him all over, licking every part of his skin that he could reach, as his hand curled around Jensen’s cock, hard and pulsing against his palm. “Hard for me.”

“Damn it, Jay, suck me, make me come—“

“Yeah—“

Brilliant idea, brilliant mate. Jared let go of his arm and kissed and licked his way across Jensen’s chest. He sucked on and then nibbled at the pale nipples, pulling out more sounds of pleasure from Jensen’s throat. He dragged his tongue down the center of his body, eyes flicking up to watch Jensen, enjoying the sight of his mate settling back against his pillow, watching Jared with an expectant smile on his face.

Jared swirled his tongue around Jensen’s belly button, purring when Jensen let out a soft laugh, stomach twitching under his chin. He traced the line of hair on his lower belly, following it down to the thatch of wiry hair. Jared pressed his nose there and just breathed in the scent of his mate. He groaned happily, rubbing his face against Jensen, marking himself with Jensen’s scent.

Jensen’s hands caressed his head and strong fingers slipped into his long hair, gently urging him lower. Jared grinned as he looked up at Jensen, licking his lips, and moving back to lick a long stripe from the base of his hard cock to the tip. Jensen shuddered and moaned when Jared wrapped his lips around the head, tongue flicking over the slit, tasting him. He was salty and bitter, but the skin was soft and smooth. Jared inhaled deeply through his nose and sank down further on Jensen’s cock, feeling the thick muscle slide down his tongue and into the back of his throat. He watched as one of Jensen’s hands uncurled from his hair to clutch the sheets.

Jensen was shaking, his thighs trembling against Jared’s body. Jared pulled up slowly, tracing the vein along the underside of his cock with the flat of his tongue, sucking on the tip to pull more of the taste from him.

“Jared…Jay…please…”

Jared let out a little growl and began sucking the head in earnest. He curled one hand around the bottom of his cock, stroking him hard and fast as Jared sucked, moving his mouth lower. Jensen reached up and clutched at the headboard, one leg curled over Jared’s shoulder, the heel digging into his back. Jensen panted, thrusting his hips, pushing his cock into Jared’s hand and into his mouth.

“Ahhh…yes, Jared, suck right there…yes…fuck…yes…yes…”

Jared slipped two fingers of his other hand into Jensen, aiming for his prostate. Jensen arched high off the bed, balanced on just one foot, and let out a sound that was a cross between a squeal and a groan, coming inside his mouth. Jared swallowed thickly, letting go of Jensen’s cock, letting him shove his cock into his throat. Jensen cried out again, back still bent off the bed, surging against Jared’s face. His leg tightened behind Jared’s neck, holding him in place, nearly choking him. His eyes watered from the pressure of Jensen’s cock in his throat, gagging hard but keeping Jensen in his mouth. He fought through it, inhaling through his nose, and watched as Jensen lost it so fucking beautifully.

“Oh God…” Jensen husked, collapsing on the bed. His cock slipped wetly out of Jared’s mouth and Jared coughed, his throat raw and aching, falling on his elbow, wiping his face on the sheet. “Jared…fuck…that was…”

Jared pulled his fingers gently from inside Jensen, wiping his hands on the sheets. He pressed a soft kiss on his hip, his tongue tracing the faint round scar from the silver bullet that he took when he was fifteen. Jensen turned, pulling Jared close to him.

“Don’t ever leave me for that long again,” Jensen whispered into his ear, hiding his face against Jared’s neck.

Jared wrapped his arms and legs around Jensen, his hands caressing his damp back. “Never again. I promise.”

He sniffled, full of emotions, and rubbed his face on the back of Jensen’s neck, arms tightening around his mate. “I’m sorry for not coming home sooner. I wouldn’t have left if I did.”

“I know,” Jensen said, softly, caressing his arm. His body was languid, legs twisted together. “And I wouldn’t have let you go.”

Jared nodded against him, wiping his wet eyes against the pillow. “It’s over, Jen, I brought them back alive.”

“I know,” Jensen said, taking a deep breath. “Chris called me to let you know that you were coming home.”

Jared huffed and then rolled his eyes. “He’ll never hide anything from you, will he, not even if I ask?”

“No,” Jensen said, chuckling tiredly. “He’s blood loyal to me first and only, Jay. But he loves you and he felt bad for telling me.”

“I didn’t want us to be disturbed—“

Jensen laughed. “You wanted me to be unaware so you could come home and put me on my back and fuck me hard.”

Jared swallowed, feeling a little guilty. “You…you’re not mad, are you?”

“Jesus, no,” Jensen said, turning to look at him. He was guileless in his sated beauty. “Are you kidding me? After this, you might have to top more often.”

Jared broke out into a huge smile and then giggled, blushing hotly as he ducked his head into the crook of Jensen’s neck. “You talked dirty.”

“I had a lot of time…I read all the sex books that Morgan left for you.”

Jared growled, pulling Jensen’s head back and kissing him deeply. “You don’t need any pointers, Alpha.”

***

 

 

Texas Pack Were Council  
Outside of Dallas  
Near Midnight

Jared stood beside Jensen as the guards pulled the two rogue Alphas before all the Elders of the five Texas packs. The Alphas of the other packs stood beside Jensen, their faces hard and unforgiving, as they stared at the rogue Alphas.

Jared looked at them, giving them consideration that he hadn’t before while he was tracking them. Rob Benedict was young Alpha. His Beta, Danneel, stood nearby, tears marring her beauty as she looked at her mate, giving him a look of encouragement and love. He stood in front of the Elders, but he only saw her. Jared felt their sadness keenly; and he wanted to forgive him. He felt for Danneel, having to stand by her mate who was guilty of a grievous crime, not just against Jensen but against the pack, against their werewolf brotherhood. He feared that she would melt away and die without her mate.

Chad told him more about Rob Benedict. He was a good Alpha for Austin, young like Jensen when he took over the pack, and just as ambitious. But where Jensen was ambitious for the pack and not for himself, Benedict felt that the Alpha’s success reflected on the pack’s success. He was easily drawn into Mark Pellegrino’s plot to destroy Dallas pack and to take over all the other smaller packs with Jensen out of the way. Jared thought that Pellegrino would’ve eventually kill Benedict and taken all of the Texas packs for himself.

Pellegrino was an older werewolf. His Beta, Riley, stood beside Danneel, but he glared at the ground instead. Chad told him that Pellegrino was old school, meaning that he kept his Beta like a slave and not a partner. Jared wondered if there was a part of Riley who would be happy to be free of an Alpha like Pellegrino. He wanted to speak to Christian Kane and ask for him to intervene with Riley, to watch the younger werewolf so that he didn’t hurt himself or others. Jared saw a bit of himself in Riley, that wild and reckless nature; that need to be free at any cost.

And wasn’t it something funny that a new Beta stood by Kane’s side. Steve Carlson. Jared grinned, thinking that Jensen’s architect friend was a good match for Kane. He was outspoken and brilliant; funny and easygoing. Jensen gossiped about how the two of them got together just a month ago and was tearing through Houston getting a band together. Jared bit his lip, trying not to giggle.

Kane, now just the Alpha of Houston pack, had appointed an up and comer named Genevieve Cortese to head up Austin pack. Jared looked at the dark haired petite beauty, her eyes glittering as she stared at the rogue Alphas. This would be a lesson for her as a new pack Alpha: never use the pack to fuel your own ambitions.

Jared saw Chris step forward and light the coals, the flames sparking quickly. He placed the branding irons into the fire and stepped back, nodding to Elder Ferris. Jared took a deep breath, the back of his hand glancing against the back of Jensen’s hand. He closed his eyes, thinking of Chris’s visit, and what they explained would happen to Benedict and Pellegrino now.

Chris called the house five miles out before he drove over to give them an update on the Council’s final decision. He didn’t want to catch them unawares by coming over to the Glass House unannounced, in case Jared and Jensen were occupied. Jared smirked as he opened the door, looking at the shorter werewolf.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you’re a big tattletale?”

“Anyone else would’ve obeyed you.” Chris smirked, looking up at him. “But you should’ve known, Jared, my title is Jensen’s personal assistant, I’m bound to the pack Alpha and I serve only him.”

“Bastard,” he said, without any heat. He gave Chris a big grin. “Jensen! Can I give Pine a hug?”

“Why would you want to?” Jensen called back.

“Yeah, thanks a lot, Alpha—Jesus!” Chris snorted breathlessly as Jared hugged him, picking him up into the air. “Big oaf!”

Jared laughed, putting Chris down. “It’s good to see you.”

“I’m glad you’re home, Beta,” he said, politely. “And now, I have pack business to discuss with the both of you.”

Jared sat down next to Jensen on the sofa as Chris took the armchair across from them. He sighed, tapping his hands on his knees. “The Texas Elders have conferred with each other and they’ve come to a unanimous decision on the rogue Alphas.” He looked at Jared. “They’re to be branded as Omega and given to the packs.”

Jared nodded, taking a deep breath. “I know what the Omega branding is all about, but what does that mean, given to the packs?”

“Savaged,” Jensen said, softly. “The branding ceremony will occur in some field and pack members will show up, ready to savage the Omega. It’s how we purge the weak from our packs, Jared.”

“Sounds pretty brutal,” he said, looking worriedly at Jensen.

Jensen nodded. “It is.” He ran his hand over Jared’s head. “You don’t have to participate in the actual event, but you will need to be there to witness it.”

Jared nodded. “I’ll be by your side, Alpha.”

He watched as the guards grabbed Benedict first, forcing him to his knees and holding his head back and still. Another werewolf guard picked up one of the branding irons from the fire, the end of it glowing a bright red. Jared forced himself to watch as he placed the end of the brand against Benedict’s forehead, the young werewolf screaming and twisting against the guards, the searing smell of burnt flesh filling the air. Danneel screamed, covering her mouth with her hands and falling to her knees. She tried to crawl to him, but her family and friends held her back, holding her.

“Please!” She screamed, trying to get to Benedict. “Please! Please! Rob!”

Jared swallowed, turning away. He closed his eyes when he heard the howl of the pack behind them, braying for blood, teeth snapping and claws digging into the dirt. There were hundreds of werewolves behind them.

“Ackles, this pack will never rise with the likes of you leading it!” Mark screamed at Jensen as the guards struggled to turn his head. “Pure weakness! It’s your weakness, Jensen, that’ll cause our downfall! You will be to blame! History will call us martyrs and heroes!”

Jensen stared impassively at Mark, but Jared could tell that his words hurt Jensen. He stepped closer to his mate, his fingers trailing against Jensen’s fingers, wrapping them together. Jared stared as they branded Pellegrino, his scream just as loud. He pushed the guards away, falling to his hands, and dry heaving. He felt no pity for him.

The guards took off the silver chains and the neck collars. They were free – but where could they go when there were hundreds of werewolves waiting for them?

“Shift into your werewolf forms,” Elder Ferris told them. She stared as they transformed, panting hard. “If you survive this night and make it past the borders, you will leave our pack for your lifetime. If you are found anywhere in Texas again, you will be killed without mercy. Now, go.”

Jared watched as Pellegrino howled, his head thrown back and teeth bared. He turned and glared at Jensen one last time and turned, running furiously into the darkness, knowing what was behind him. Benedict whined softly as he moved slowly towards Danneel. He sniffed her outstretched hand and licked her palm gently.

“I love you,” she told him, blinking back her tears. “I’ll always be with you.”

He snuffled, moving closer, but she shook her head. “Run. You have to run. Run faster than you’ve ever run before. Please, Rob, go.”

She ran her hand over his furred head and let out a cry when Benedict turned and ran, his cries echoing in the darkness.

Jared knew that they would be given a head start. It was fair. They were not monsters who would be so cruel as to not give the rogues a chance at survival and escape. They were still their werewolf brothers. The packs would be able to scent them for hours, pacing them and following their trails, until they decided that the hunt was over. He wondered if either of them would survive the night and escape to the bordering states.

He looked at Jensen and held his tired, sad gaze for a long moment. He finally understood the terrible burden his mate carried since he became pack Alpha. He smiled at Jensen, squeezing his hand.

“I promise. Together,” he whispered.

Jensen nodded. “I know.”

***

The Glass House  
Jensen’s and Jared’s Residence

Jared woke up to find the bed empty. He inhaled deeply, smiling from the heady scent of sex and come and lube…and found Jensen to be somewhere in the house. He pushed the sheets off and got out of bed, stretching his aching muscles – Jensen really was a fucking animal in bed – and scratched the side of his ass as he wandered into the hallway and to the living room.

He smiled, seeing his mate leaning naked against the back patio door, looking at the beautiful Japanese garden. He slipped his arms around Jensen from the back and tucked his chin on his shoulder. He shivered at the feel of the cool night air on his bared skin.

“You kept it well pruned and maintained.”

Jensen chuckled. “Well, you know, I had a lot of free time on my hands while you were away. I did a lot of reading on how to maintain a Japanese garden.”

“It’s in perfect condition, you did a great job with it,” he murmured, kissing the side of Jensen’s neck.

“Morgan spent a lot of time here, too, working on the garden with me,” Jensen told him. “And then she quizzed me on the books that I read.”

Jared grinned. “Morgan needs a boyfriend.”

“She needs a Beta.”

“We should introduce her to Chad,” Jared told him, giggling. “He’d be perfect for her.”

“Ohmygod,” Jensen muttered, laughing deeply. He sighed. “Well, Chad would certainly distract her enough so that she wouldn’t be so interested in our sex life.”

“Thank God,” he said, licking Jensen’s neck. “Just as long as she doesn’t tell us about her sex life.”

Jensen groaned, shaking his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Jared chuckled, holding Jensen close, both at peace now with nothing but the future ahead of them. Jensen turned in his arms and kissed him, wrapping his arms behind Jared’s neck and walking out onto the back patio.

“Let’s go for a run,” Jensen murmured against his lips. “The full moon will give us light.”

Jared chuckled. “Let’s go get changed.”

“We don’t need to get changed, Beta,” he said, smiling warmly at Jared.

Jensen stepped back and transformed into his werewolf form, green eyes glowing at him. Jared smiled at him, transfixed at the sight of his mate.

“You’re the most beautiful werewolf I’ve ever seen, Alpha.”

Jensen growled, amused, his ears twitching. Jared transformed and whined deep in his throat, grunting at him.

With a raucous howl, Jensen turned and took off, streaking through the Japanese garden. Jared watched for a moment as Jensen disappeared into the darkness. He tucked his nose into the air, scenting his mate – fresh cut grass and hazelnut – and let out a playful howl of his own, racing after Jensen into the night, forever pacing him as they ran across the land, running side by side.

THE END.


End file.
